Digimon Adventure Tamers
by DigimonAT0318
Summary: A retelling of 02 and a sequel to Tamers, set in the year 2003. The Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers, heroes of two worlds, join forces to face their greatest challenges yet. What's more, Davis has been to the Digital World before with Ryo and Ken to fight Millenniummon. Under the leadership of Tai, Davis and Takato, along with Ryo, can they prevail? Elements of tri. later on.
1. Chapter 1: Rampage! Strikedramon

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 1: Rampage! Strikedramon

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

The summer sun was shining bright over Shinjuku, not a cloud in sight. On the streets, numerous people were going about doing daily business, such as shopping for food or going to their jobs. Others were simply enjoying the freedom of no school and were having fun. Overall, it was another ordinary day…but Shinjuku was not a normal city. Two years before in 2001, a massive red blob appeared in Shinjuku and other parts of the Earth, destroying everything it touched. This red blob was the D-Reaper, a computer program that went against its programming and decided to eliminate all of humanity. The D-Reaper terrified the human race for an entire month until it was finally defeated by a small group of human children who had help from their Digimon, short for Digital Monsters.

Until the D-Reaper crisis, Digimon was nothing more than a franchise for years that was on multiple platforms of media. These forms of media included a two-season anime show, four movies, multiple CDs, manga, and even toys and video games. The most popular form though, beside the show, was the Digimon card game, which often had a yearly tournament. However, Digimon were also very much real, having existed long before the show came into existence. Digimon had been around since the 1980s, starting out as a form of AI before evolving and becoming its own world, which resided in its own plane of existence and allowed Digimon to appear in the Human World. Some of these Digimon sought power and destruction, while other Digimon wished to be partnered to humans.

The humans that received partner Digimon formed a bond with them, using the Digimon cards to help their partners in battle, giving them extra power. As the Digimon grew stronger, so did their partner. The bond between four of these Tamers, as they were called, strengthened to the point where they could merge with their partner Digimon to reach the highest form of evolution.

Shortly after the D-Reaper was defeated, the Digimon were forced to go back to the Digital World, lest they disappear for good. A year passed and things eventually went back to normal in Shinjuku and around the world. In 2002 however, both worlds connected again and the Digimon came back, and the Tamers had reunited with their partners to counter any Digimon appearing in the Human World.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Zone Digital)

On this particular day in a busy freeway in the intersection, everyone was going about their business when a white cloud began pouring out of a nearby manhole cover. Before anyone knew it, the cover was blown off in an explosion of steam and was sent flying high into the sky, and the cloud spread out, covering the entire intersection. People everywhere ran away from the cloud, screaming in terror as they heard growling and snapping noises coming from the cloud. Some of the people running away were able to escape from the fog cloud, but others were not so lucky as thick, long white objects that looked like rope flew out and snagged them, pulling them into the fog.

* * *

"We have a breach! Multiple Wild Ones are appearing in downtown Shinjuku!"

High in a building that stood over other buildings in Shinjuku, two women sitting in chairs were monitoring the status of the Digital World when the alarms went off, alerting them to the invaders appearing in the Human World. One of the women, who had long red hair going down past her shoulders, was typing on her keyboard while alerting her superior to the breach.

"How many Wild Ones are we talking about exactly?" asked her boss, a blond-haired man wearing dark glasses and holding a cigarette lighter in his hand.

"Calculating right now…" the redhead's partner, who had blond hair that touched her shoulders, looked at the screen in front of her. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when she saw it. "There's thirty-six and counting!"

"Damn…" cursed the man as he snapped his lighter closed. "Are the Tamers nearby?"

"They're already arriving," confirmed the redhead. "Some of them are evacuating the intersection while the others are engaging the threat."

"Thirty-six and counting…" muttered the man, who looked at the screen, a massive red dot indicating where the 'Wild Ones' were. "What's in there?"

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

Back outside, every human in the intersection continued running away from the fog as fast as they could, but there were so many people they had trouble getting through. Several humans, however, were not running from the fog, but towards it. Eight human children ran past the screaming and panicking civilians and right into the foggy cloud, all wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the rays of the fog, or in one kid's case, a pair of yellow goggles with blue lenses.

"Well, this is definitely the Digital Field," said the goggled boy, named Takato Matsuki. Aged 12, Takato still wore the goggles he had been wearing for two years ever since he became a Tamer. Still young and naïve at times, Takato had taken to drawing in his spare time as he had an active imagination. Said imagination, along with his fandom for Digimon, inspired him to create his own Digimon, which came to life. This Digimon, standing next to him, was Guilmon, a red dinosaur Digimon who was nearly as big as Takato. Guilmon was cute and playful many times, but this was not time for playing. Guilmon's eyes had become and slits and he was growling, sensing an impending battle.

"Yeah, we can see it's the Digital Field, Gogglehead!" snapped Rika Nonaka, a 12 year old girl with her red hair pulled up into a spiked ponytail. Known as the Queen of the Digimon Card Game, Rika used to be a cold girl who destroyed any and all Digimon she encountered, even fighting Guilmon when she first laid eyes on him. As time passed however, Rika became less cold and distant with her fellow Tamers and her own Digimon partner as well, becoming much friendlier. She still retained her tomboyish personality, disliking dresses as well as being sarcastic and impatient from time to time. Her partner Digimon Renamon, a yellow fox Digimon who was taller than Rika and possessed a serious personality, materialized right next to her, poised for combat.

"Rika, I think we all see it," said Henry Wong. "I think what Takato is trying to say is there aren't any Digimon that we can see yet." A smart and serious boy for his age, Henry was a pacifist when he first became a Tamer, not wanting to fight at all and seeking other ways to settle problems. Eventually, Henry realized that not all fights could be ended peacefully, especially when lives were on the line. Although Henry now helped his friends in battle, he keeps a balance between good fights and bad fights. His partner Digimon Terriermon, a small green Digimon with long floppy ears and a dog like appearance, though people often mistake him for a rabbit, hung on his shoulders. The complete opposite of Henry, Terriermon was laid-back and often made jokes and sarcastic comments, with Henry often chastising him for lack of tact.

"Well, for all we know, they could be lying in wait for us," Ryo Akiyama voiced. At age 14, Ryo was the oldest of the Tamers and the most experienced, often called the Legendary Tamer. While Rika was considered the queen of the Digimon Card Game, many consider Ryo the king as he was the only one to ever beat Rika in the Digimon card game. Like Henry, Ryo was often level-headed and provided great strategies in battle. His Digimon partner Monodramon, a small bluish-purple dragon Digimon, stood by his side, growling viciously like Guilmon. Monodramon was often a curious and inquisitive Digimon, which was a far cry from his Ultimate level Cyberdramon, a vicious and bloodthirsty Digimon who always looked for strong opponents to battle.

"Ryo's probably right," said Suzie Wong, who was near her older brother Henry. At the age of 9, Suzie was the second youngest of the Tamers. Originally a young and immature girl who tormented Terriermon on a daily basis by dressing him up in tutus and diapers as "Princess Pretty Pants" back when she thought he was just a doll and not a real Digimon, Suzie began to slowly mature and grow up when she received a D-Arc and her own Digimon partner. Lopmon, originally a servant to the powerful Digimon Sovereigns, looked exactly like Terriermon, but with brown fur and pink stripes, as well as three horns on her head instead of one. Unlike Terriermon, who was dog-based, Lopmon was a pure rabbit-based Digimon.

"Well of course he's right! He's Ryo, isn't he?" asked Hirokazu Shioda, Kazu for short. A 12-year old boy with a visor on his head, Kazu was originally a big-headed boy with a massive ego who thought much of himself and had a massive hero-worship for Ryo, but proved himself to be loyal to the Tamers. After a terrible incident several months back that he caused, Kazu had been slowly deflating his ego, though he still hero worshipped Ryo, which the older boy found embarrassing at first, and later annoying. Kokuwamon, Kazu's partner who looked like a robot insect, flew overhead before landing in front of Kazu. Like his Champion level Guardromon, Kokuwamon was a brave Digimon who fought for what was right, though he was often oblivious to whatever destruction was caused in his fights.

"Kazu, I really don't think this is the right time for fawning over Ryo. We need to figure out what to do first," voiced Kenta Kitagawa, Kazu's best friend. Also 12 years old like most of the Tamers, Kenta had a massive hero-worship for Ryo, but toned down on it after a while. While Kenta had a bit of an ego, it was not as massive as Kazu's used to be, as he often wanted to do more as a Tamer. His partner Betamon, a Digimon of few words who could Digivolve straight to the small but strong Mega level MarineAngemon, hopped by his side, primed for a fight like the other Digimon.

"Maybe we should get everyone out of the way of the Digital Field before you fight," suggested Jeri Katou. "I can help with that." Like most of her friends, Jeri was 12 years old. Originally a Tamer, Jeri lost her partner Leomon in the Digital World when Leomon was deleted and his data was absorbed. It was a terrible day for all of the Tamers, including Leomon's killer Beelzemon, who later redeemed himself by helping the Tamers rescue Jeri when she was kidnapped and used as a power source for the D-Reaper. Although she no longer had a Digimon partner, Jeri still helped out the Tamers in any way she could, such as bringing food to them, evacuating any battle areas, and providing first aid.

"You do that Jeri," Takato said to his longtime friend. "Henry, Suzie, Kenta, help Jeri with the evacuation in case there are any Digimon that managed to get out of the field."

"Aye-aye, captain Takato!" Terriermon replied with a salute, causing Henry to sigh at his partner's antics. Jeri ran over to the people still running and began helping them get to safety, with the assigned Tamers helping out.

* * *

"I can feel many Digimon life signs deep in that fog," Renamon said, her ice-blue eyes narrowed in the direction of the fog. "Many of them are very strong…"

"And I think I here screaming," Guilmon said, his big red ears twitching at the sound of yelling. The rest of the group remained silent as they heard faint screams.

"Well, whatever's in there, let's hurry and take them out!" said Kazu. "Whoever's in there interrupted our Digimon marathon!" The Digimon Tamers had been having a small party at Kazu's house where they were watching episodes of Digimon on DVD when they received the call about the Digital Field.

"Can we worry about your little movie marathon later?!" snapped Rika, who began running towards the fog. "This is more important!"

"She's right," agreed Ryo, right behind Rika. "Here we go!" The four Tamers ran into the dog where they were greeted with a horrific sight. All around them were countless giant spiders with giant gaping maws, all of them on massive spider webs. More spiders littered the ground, smaller than the others. Among the spider-webs were massive cocoons of silk, and judging from the sounds of muffled screaming from the cocoons, which were also twitching a lot, the spiders had captured many humans and had wrapped them up for a meal later.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"Good gravy!" gasped Kazu. "Those are…"

"Dokugumon," Renamon replied with a low growl, recognizing the Digimon before them, as did Rika. It was a battle with a Dokugumon that Renamon Digivolved to her Champion level for the very first time.

"What are those little spiders then?" asked Takato. "They look like mini Dokugumon."

"KoDokugumon," Ryo replied, looking up the Digimon on the analyzer built into his D-Arc. "They're In-Training level Digimon known as the offspring of the Dokugumon."

"Yes, human," hissed the Dokugumon in the middle of the pack. "We have come to spread our colony into the human world. And these humans will provide nourishment for our children. One of our own came here before, but was deleted by another Digimon."

"Wait, that Dokugumon was with you?" asked Rika, surprised at what the queen said.

"Yes…" hissed the queen. "But that was only one. We Dokugumon are many and we have now arrived to the human world…all of us! And now we will spread throughout this city!"

"That is not going to happen at all!" Kokuwamon declared, his claws sparking with electricity.

"Oh, it is…" the queen chuckled evilly.

* * *

"Everyone, get out of here before the Digital Field spreads any further!" Henry yelled to the panicking individuals. Jeri was at the front of the pack, leading them to safety. Slowly but surely the district was being evacuated, thanks to the efforts of the four Tamers. But before the evacuation was complete, thick white strings flew out of the sky and landed on the ground, some of them nearly hitting the humans. Some of the humans looked up and let out several shrieks of terror. Looking up as well, the Tamers were greeted with the sight of Dokugumon and KoDokugumon crawling down from the buildings.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Damn it…they're getting out of the Digital Field!" cursed Henry.

"Now what do we do Henry?" asked Kenta.

"Jeri, keep evacuating!" Henry said to the former Tamer before turning to the bespectacled Tamer. "Kenta, help her out!"

"We've got it!" Betamon voiced, running forward to attack several KoDokugumon that were approaching the people. "BETA SLUGGER!" Spinning in a circle, Betamon released the orange fin on his head at the small spiders and sliced them in half, the two halves bursting into data.

"There must be hundreds of those icky spiders!" Suzie said, looking at the spiders in slight disgust. "I hate spiders!"

"Actually, it's probably more than just six dozen, but it is a lot," Lopmon corrected her partner. "And we have to keep them from doing any more damage!"

"Well, why are we standing here and letting the others have all the fun?" Terriermon leaped off Henry's shoulder and flew at the Dokugumon with his massive ears. "Let's hit them hard and fast, and we'll win!"

"Terriermon, wait!" Henry called out to his partner.

"Why wait, Henry? Quick action leads to victory! BUNNY BLAST!" Terriermon aimed at a Dokugumon and fired green fireballs from his mouth. The fireballs hit the Dokugumon square in the compound eyes, causing the spider Digimon to scream in pain and slip off the building. The Dokugumon collided with another Dokugumon during his fall, and both Digimon landed on the ground, and on several KoDokugumon. Lopmon immediately flew in on her long ears to attack.

"BLAZING ICE!" This attack was the opposite of Terriermon's Bunny Blast, shooting blasts of ice from her ice that froze the Dokugumon in place.

"Henry! We need some cards!" Terriermon called to his partner as he dodged the Dokugumon's Venom Blast, which was a blast of corrosive acid from their mouths.

"I got it," Henry replied, pulling out a Digimon card with a shield on it as Suzie pulled out a card with a picture of a flaming orange bird.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! BRAVE SHIELD ACTIVATE!" Henry slashed the card through a slot in his D-Arc. A light formed around Terriermon and became a massive golden shield with a sun on it. Grabbing the massive shield and holding it like it was light, Terriermon split the shield in half, using the two halves to grab any of the Dokugumon's Poison Thread attack, which was their thick strings of webbing that they shot from their mouth. As the webbing landed on the shield, Terriermon began spinning around rapidly and yelled out, "TERRIER TORNADO!" generating a green twister that pulled in the Dokugumon still attached to their webbing, before throwing them into the air.

"DIGI-MODIFY! BIRDRAMON ACTIVATE!" Suzie was the next to slash a card through her D-Arc. Lopmon felt a new surge of power from the card, growing flaming wings out of her back. Flexing her new wings, Lopmon took to the sky and soared above the airborne Dokugumon.

"METEOR WING!" Numerous fireballs were released from Lopmon's wings and pelted the Dokugumon, setting them on fire. The fires spread more thanks to Terriermon's twister and the Dokugumon caught in the attacks dissolved into data, but the remaining Dokugumon did not looked moved at all from the loss.

"It doesn't matter how many you destroy," said a Dokugumon that landed near Kenta and Jeri, who had just completed the evacuation, "we'll simply reproduce before you strike us down! SPIDER MACHINE GUN!" The Dokugumon turned around and multiple KoDokugumon began shooting out of her thorax and attacking the Tamers.

"Eww, that is disgusting!" Jeri screamed as she hid behind a car. Kenta slid a card through his D-Arc, enabling Betamon to use Garurumon's Fox Fire, an attack that fired blue flames from his mouth.

"I didn't know they could do that!" Kenta exclaimed, grabbing Jeri and running over to Henry and Suzie. The five remaining Dokugumon performed the same attack, creating more KoDokugumon to swarm the Tamers and the city.

"I just hope Takato and the others are faring better than us," Henry muttered, sliding another card to give Terriermon Zudomon's Thor Hammer.

* * *

Inside the Digital Field, Takato's team were having a difficult time as well fighting the Dokugumon, as they had just learned of the Dokugumon's Spider Machine Gun attack.

"I have to admit..." Ryo said as Monodramon punched several KoDokugumon down with his Beat Knuckle, "…I did not know the Dokugumon had this type of attack."

"Now we do!" Rika replied, sliding a card through her D-Arc to enhance Renamon's speed, before sliding another one to give her Gatomon's Lightning Paw attack. The yellow fox moved in a blur towards the spider webs, slicing them apart and freeing the cocoons. Before she could slice open the cocoons to free the humans however, a Dokugumon landed on top of her and bit her shoulder. Renamon yelled in pain as she felt the sharp fangs dig into her shoulder. Seeing the danger her partner was in, Rika grabbed a nearby pipe and smacked it over the giant spider's head.

"Get off of her you stinking bug!" yelled the tomboy. "I've just about had enough of you Dokugumon for a lifetime!" The Dokugumon moved off of Renamon and began advancing towards Rika, who refused to back down. The spider Digimon opened her mouth to fire her Venom Blast, but Guilmon intervened at the last second.

"ROCK BREAKER!" The red dinosaur dropped down from the sky, courtesy of an Aero Wing card from Takato, and drove his claws into the Dokugumon's head. The Dokugumon screeched as she thrashed about to get Guilmon off her, but Renamon moved quickly and leapt into the air.

"DIAMOND STORM!" At Renamon's yell, many sharp glowing white leaves materialized around her and pelted the Dokugumon, turning her to data. Guilmon was also caught in the crossfire, but the attack left little to no damage to him at all.

"MINI SCISSOR CLAW!" Kokuwamon's pincers glowed brightly as he sliced apart the KoDokugumon one by one, but many more were replaced courtesy of their more powerful forms.

"Man, we're going to be here all day!" Kazu yelled as he dodged a Dokugumon's Poison Thread. The Tamers were being cautious as well to not be caught by the Dokugumon and be their next meal.

"If we keep fighting with Rookie level Digimon," said Rika. "Renamon and I fought a Dokugumon before, and she was very powerful for us, even with cards!"

"So how did you beat her?" Guilmon asked after firing his Pyro Sphere to roast several KoDokugumon.

"I Digivolved for the first time to Champion level," Renamon answered for her partner as she kicked away another KoDokugumon.

"Then that's what we'll do!" Takato quickly pulled out the card to allow Digivolution, Rika and Kazu mirroring his actions. Ryo did the same, but rather reluctantly as he looked over to Monodramon, who had taken to biting a Dokugumon with his Cracking Bite.

'I'm not sure if it's a good idea for Monodramon to Digivolve…although…he is Digivolving to his Champion level and not Cyberdramon.' Taking a deep breath, Ryo slashed the card through his D-Arc with Takato, Rika and Kazu. Outside the Digital Field, Henry, Suzie and Kenta came to the conclusion that they would have to Digivolve their partners to the Champion level as well and were slashing the Digivolution cards through their D-Arcs as well.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!" At the yell of the seven Tamers, their partners glowed brightly as they were covered in data cocoons and began changing in shape and size.

(Play Digimon Tamers: EVO)

"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GROWLMON!" Guilmon's cocoon burst apart to reveal the small red dinosaur Digimon had become bigger, growing to the size of a full-grown dinosaur, and his looks becoming more vicious.

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!" Renamon broke free from her cocoon and landed on all four legs, having become a nine-tailed fox with her legs wreathed in blazing blue flames.

"TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARGOMON!" Terriermon broke out of his cocoon, now standing as tall as Henry. His legs were clad in a pair of jeans and a belt of bullets was wrapped around his chest, and his hands became Gatling guns.

"MONODRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STRIKEDRAMON!" Monodramon let out a snarl as he changed into his Champion level, a blue and white dragon Digimon with pieces of metal on various parts of his body, such as his hands, feet, tail and head, with a red mark on his chest.

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!" Lopmon's Champion level was as tall as Gargomon, and was clad in yellow clothes akin to that of a ninja's, a pair of claws in each hand.

"KOKUWAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GUARDROMON!" The sound of jet engines signaled Kokuwamon's Champion level, a brown robot made out of solid iron, had taken flight.

"BETAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…DOLPHMON!" As his name implied, Betamon's Champion level was a blue and white dolphin that was able to float in mid-air when there was no body of water around for him to swim in.

"All right, let's finish this!" Rika declared as the Digimon charged at the Dokugumon and attacked them hard and fast.

"FOX TAIL INFERNO!" Spreading her nine tails, Kyubimon released a fireball from each tail, each fireball possessing an evil smirk as they flew at the spider Digimon. The fireballs flew and danced gracefully around the area, dissolving many of the spider webs and burning multiple KoDokugumon. Those that tried to get her were unsuccessful as three of the fireball flew around her, creating an impenetrable wall of fire.

"GRENADE DESTROYER!" Guardromon took aim and fired his grenades from his arms, blasting more KoDokugumon. His aim and hits were spot-on thanks to an accuracy card used by Kazu. A Dokugumon jumped on him and attempted to force him down, but Guardromon turned around and cut his jet engines, falling to the ground below and squishing the Dokugumon under him.

"That was most definitely not a smart move," the robot Digimon voiced before continuing his assault.

"Takato, we need to take out the queen Dokugumon!" Ryo yelled over to the goggled Tamer, pointing to the massive Dokugumon in the middle of the area that was attempted to hit Guardromon with her Venom Blast. "If we take her out, then the other Dokugumon will be lost and they'll be easier to take out!"

"I think I got it," Takato replied as he swung a pipe to smack away a KoDokugumon. The Tamers had taken to defending themselves with whatever they could get their hands on as the enemy Digimon were also attempting to get them as well as their partner Digimon. "Growlmon, help Strikedramon take out the queen!"

"I'm all over it!" Growlmon replied as he slashed a Dokugumon in half with his Dragon Slash attack. The red dragon Digimon turned his attention to the queen and charged for her with Strikedramon right by his side.

"I'll make you insipid brats pay for killing my spiderlings and denying us our meal!" the queen screeched, turning her attention away from Kyubimon and leaping for the two new challengers.

* * *

"Keep it up, Gargomon!" Henry called to his partner outside the Digital Field.

"Don't worry Henry! These itsy bitsy spiders are going down the drain! GARGO PELLETS!" Gargomon's guns spun rapidly as a hail of bullets flew forward at the Dokugumon and KoDokugumon, obliterating the smaller spiders and injuring the larger ones enough for Turuiemon and Dolphmon to finish off.

"NINJA CLAW!" Flipping down her clawed gauntlets, Turuiemon charged forward and swiped her claws through the Dokugumon with movements so fast, the normal human eye would not be able to see them clearly unless they were watching in slow motion. The Dokugumon, already hurt by the bullets, screeched as they were cut apart and disintegrated.

"SHAKING PULSE!" Dolphmon was the next to strike, opening his mouth and releasing an ultra-loud sonic wave that forced more Dokugumon and KoDokugumon back, turning them into data.

"You won't be able to catch me!" the sole remaining Dokugumon declared, leaping up a nearby building and scaling it in an attempt to escape.

"Wanna bet?!" Gargomon asked, planting his guns in the asphalt and releasing a burst that blasted him into the air. Expanding his ears to stay airborne, Gargomon launched himself at the Dokugumon. Seeing the incoming obstacle, the Dokugumon quickly spun around and prepared to fire his Poison Thread. Unfortunately for the spider Digimon, Gargomon was much faster.

"DUMDUM UPPERCUT!" Gargomon's arms glowed bright green as he brought them up and rammed them into the Dokugumon's lower jaw. Gargomon's arms released a powerful explosion that caused Dokugumon to burst into flames. Dokugumon screamed in pain and fell off the building, bursting into data upon crashing into the asphalt.

"Is that the last of them?" Kenta breathed, leaning against a nearby car. His answer was the sound of Henry's cell phone ringing. Pulling out his phone and pressing the 'talk' button, Henry held up the phone to his ear and answered, "Hello?"

"Henry it's Yamaki," said the voice on the other end of the line. "We've been monitoring the Dokugumon numbers and they've decreased to only several left in the Digital Field. There aren't any more outside the city."

"That's good," Henry said, looking into the Digital Field, which was slowly shrinking and fading away. "Knowing Takato and the others, they've probably finished off the other Dokugumon by now."

"VENOM BLAST!" The queen Dokugumon, the only Dokugumon left as the remaining KoDokugumon were being picked off by Kyubimon and Guardromon, fired her blast of venom at Growlmon, who opened his mouth and roared out, "EXHAUST FLAME!" firing a powerful blast of fire that collided with the acidic attack, creating a battle of strength. While the Dokugumon queen was strong, Growlmon was much stronger, especially thanks to Takato.

"DIGI-MODIFY! BOOSTER CHIP ACTIVATE!" The card Takato used strengthened Growlmon's Exhaust Flame and the flames flew into Dokugumon's mouth. The spider Digimon yelled and thrashed around as the flames burned her badly. The flames blinded her to everything around her, leaving her defenseless against a charging Strikedramon.

"STRIKE FANG!" The metal on Strikedramon's body glowed bright blue and burst into blue flames as the dragon man Digimon continued running faster, eventually becoming a blue blur that ran right through the Dokugumon, who exploded in a burst of flames which died down moments later.

"All right, we did it!" Takato and Kazu cheered as the Digital Field began disappearing completely. The sound of skittering alerted the Tamers to one lone KoDokugumon attempting to escape the battlefield. But it didn't get far as a red and gray sneaker came down on it hard, squishing it and turning it into data.

"I don't think so, you little creep," Rika growled, grinding her shoe into the place where she killed the little spider Digimon. As Henry's came over to Takato's to help free the humans the Dokugumon had captured, Strikedramon remained where he landed after destroying the Dokugumon queen. The armored dragon breathed heavily as he regained his composure. Destroying those Digimon made him feel good, almost as good if he was Cyberdramon. But it was not enough. He wanted to continue fighting. This feeling felt foreign to him in this form, as he only felt it before in his Ultimate level, but now…Strikedramon growled low as he turned around to see several Digimon tearing open several white cocoons to release a number of trapped humans. Strikedramon knew these Digimon looked familiar, but he did not care right now. He wanted to fight, and these Digimon were powerful enough for him to fight.

"There we go," Turuiemon said, slicing open the last cocoon with her claws while being mindful of the woman trapped in it.

"Well, that's the last of them," Henry said with a sigh as the Tamers and their partners took a moment to breath from the exhausted battle.

"Now what can we do?" asked Suzie.

"Well, let's let our Digimon loose in the park for a while so they can burn off any extra energy they have," suggested Takato, "and then let's do what Kazu wanted and finish our Digimon marathon."

"If it's all right with you guys, I'm going to go over to Kazu's house and get Ai and Mako," Jeri said, walking up the street. "I'm sure they don't want to be alone for much longer."

"See you later Jeri!" Takato called to the red-haired girl.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"So what are the chances that those two are going to ask Jeri a million questions about Impmon again?" Kazu asked once Jeri was out of earshot.

"Hey, take it easy Kazu," Takato lightly scolded his friend. "They're just worried about Impmon." Ai and Mako, a pair of twins who were two years younger than Suzie, were Tamers as well, partnered to the same Digimon, Impmon. The two of them used to fight over everything, including Impmon when they first met. This resulted in Impmon running away from them and hating humans, drawing him into confrontations with Guilmon, Terriermon and Renamon over being partnered to humans. Impmon later Digivolved to his Mega level Beelzemon when he accepted a deal from the Deva Digimon Caturamon to kill the Tamers. When he fought them, Beelzemon killed Leomon and loaded his data, causing Jeri to fall into the despair that made her a battery for the D-Reaper.

Later realizing the error of his ways, Impmon reunited and made up with Ai and Mako, who had vowed to become more mature and share, as they realized they were the ones that made Impmon run away in the first place. Impmon's re-strengthened bond with Ai and Mako made him their partner Digimon and allowed him to unlock the Blast Mode as Beelzemon. Beelzemon proved himself by helping the Tamers battle the D-Reaper and even attempted to rescue Jeri. Though he nearly died, Impmon's heroic actions earned him the Tamers' friendship and Jeri's forgiveness. When the Tamers' partners returned a year ago, Impmon was noticeably not with them. When questioned, the Digimon said Impmon was impatient and didn't want to wait any further, so he set out to find his own way back to the human world. This made Ai and Mako understandably sad, as they were hoping to be with Impmon someday. Hypnos had been combing the Digital World whenever they could for Impmon, but had no success yet.

"I know," Kazu sighed, "but every time a Digital Field pops up, Ai and Mako always ask if it's Impmon."

"Are you saying you wouldn't do the same if it was me, Kazu?" Guardromon asked, looking over to his partner. Kazu looked over at Guardromon and then the other Tamers, realizing he had a point. If it was Guardromon that was missing for a year, he would be worried like mad and asking a million questions about him.

"I think we all would," Kenta said, stroking Dolphmon's head for a minute before looking in the direction that would take them to the park in Shinjuku. "Anyways, let's get to the park and…"

"GRAAH!" A loud draconian roar split the air as Growlmon suddenly felt someone grab his tail and throw him high in the air. Growlmon yelled in surprise as he flew briefly before landing back on the ground with a loud crash.

"Growlmon?...What…" Takato exclaimed in surprise as he looked at his partner's attacker…Strikedramon.

"Strikedramon," Kyubimon asked sternly as she approached the dragon man, "why did you just…" the yellow fox's words were cut off when Strikedramon grabbed her and bit into her shoulder deep.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"AGH!" Kyubimon yelled in pain as she felt the sharp teeth sink into her and draw blood.

"KYUBIMON!" Rika yelled in anger and concern. "Strikedramon, what are you doing?!" Strikedramon said nothing as he threw Kyubimon aside and began advancing for the other Digimon, a murderous look on his masked face.

"Oh, no…" Ryo said in shock, recognizing the symptoms almost immediately. "He's lost control again!"

"Wait, he's attacking us?" asked Kenta, remembering Ryo's partner's tendency to forget himself and his friends in a fight. "I thought he only did that as Cyberdramon."

"Usually yes, but there are times when he's done it as Strikedramon," Ryo said grimly. "Thankfully, they're not as crazy and common as Cyberdramon." Grabbing his D-Arc, Ryo conjured up a blue rope of energy that he often used to rein in Cyberdramon during one of his outbursts. Running forward to Strikedramon, who was attempting to stab an evasive Turuiemon, Ryo threw his arm forward and wrapped his rope around Strikedramon's right arm, pulling it back.

"Strikedramon, stop this! You're fighting your friends!" Strikedramon ignored Ryo's pleas as he turned around and began charging for Ryo, who was shocked at the newest development.

"Ryo, watch out!" a voice yelled. Ryo felt himself being pushed off to the side as Strikedramon landed right where he was moments ago. Looking up, Ryo was surprised to see his savior was none other than Rika.

"What are you trying to do?!" the redhead scolded Ryo. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"I'm trying to reel my partner in before he can do any real damage!" Ryo answered, standing back up. "But this is something else…he's never attacked me like that before! In fact, he's never attacked me before!"

Strikedramon roared again as he rammed Guardromon into a building and began pummeling every inch of him. Guardromon grunted as he began getting dents. His iron body may be hard, but it would break under an assault like this.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Hang on, Guardromon!" Turuiemon ran forward and leapt up, wrapping her arms around Strikedramon's neck. The dragon man began gagging from the lack of air in his system as Turuiemon tightened her hold around Strikedramon's neck. Her strategy was simple: cut off his airway and he'll pass out from lack of air, reverting back to Monodramon in the process. But the plan had a problem, which was Strikedramon thrashing about, attempting to throw Turuiemon off his back.

"Woah easy, Strikedramon! Moumantai!" Gargomon yelled out his usual phrase, which was Cantonese for "take it easy", as he ran forward and wrapped his arms around Strikedramon's legs, forcing him down on his knees.

"Everyone, pile on Strikedramon!" Henry called to the Digimon. "Don't let him up! He'll use up a lot of energy trying to get out of the pile!" Everyone nodded and charged forward, landing on top of Strikedramon and keeping him pinned down. Strikedramon roared loudly as he attempted to get out of the pile of six Digimon, but the Digimon held down firmly, determined to prevent their friend from causing any more damage to them.

"Come on Strikedramon, calm it down!" Ryo said as he slowly moved to his partner. "Take it easy!"

"That's what I just said!" Gargomon's muffled voice came from the pile. Moments passed and Strikedramon's thrashing began slowing down and his growls died down. Strikedramon suddenly glowed brightly and shrunk down, turning back into Monodramon. The other Digimon glowed brightly as well and reverted to their Rookie levels.

"Oh…my head…" Monodramon groaned, looking completely weary. Ryo let out a sigh of relief as the other Digimon got off of his partner, who seemed to be in control of himself again.

"Monodramon…are you okay?" Renamon asked, holding her shoulder. Although it healed when she turned back to her Rookie level, the shoulder still hurt slightly.

"Yeah…I think so," Monodramon moaned, being helped up by Ryo and Guilmon. "What happened? The last thing I remember was running through the Dokugumon queen as Strikedramon…"

"You don't remember?" asked Kazu. "You went all crazy and bit Kyubimon and dented Guardromon badly! You also attacked…"

"Don't!" Ryo said, cutting off the visor-wearing boy. The Legendary Tamer didn't want Monodramon to know he almost attacked his own partner, as it would leave him distraught.

"I lost control?" asked a shocked Monodramon. "But…but I was Strikedramon, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, you were," said Takato. "It's usually as Cyberdramon that you went crazy, isn't it?"

"Usually..." Monodramon said sadly as he looked over to Renamon and Kokuwamon, who suffered the most pain during his crazy episode. "I'm sorry guys…I just lost it without explanation…"

"Do not blame yourself, Monodramon," reassured Renamon. "Please…do not worry over my injuries."

"Nor mine," chimed in Kokuwamon.

"Hey guys!" a voice called. The Tamers looked over to see Jeri running down the street with the twins Ai and Mako trailing behind her. Flying next to them was Calumon. A simple and sweet Digimon who always loved to play games, Calumon used to be the Catalyst that allowed Digimon to Digivolve. That power had been used greatly during the D-Reaper Crisis to allow many Digimon in the Digital World to Digivolve to the Mega level. After the Digimon returned, Calumon had taken up residence in Jeri's place so she wouldn't be left out of having a Digimon, but he also spent time with the twins as well while Impmon was missing.

"Hey Ai, Mako," Takato greeted the two siblings. "I'm sorry, but Impmon wasn't…"

"We know," Ai said sadly. "Jeri told us."

"But we know he'll be back, right?" Mako asked hopefully.

"Yeah…he'll be back," Jeri said with a hand on a different twin's shoulder, her tone hopeful as well.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

Back at the Hypnos building, the blond haired man, who was the director of Hypnos, Mitsuo Yamaki, watched the screen showing the Tamers with an unreadable expression. He had witnessed the entire battle with Strikedramon, and for some reason, it did not sit well with him at all.

"Sir, our scanners indicate that there are zero Wild Ones in Shinjuku," reported Tally, the blond-haired woman. "They actually managed to get them all."

"Did you have doubts?"

"No, sir…the situation was just reminding me of the Locomon incident three months ago." Yamaki grunted as he remembered that particular incident, involving a number of purple spider-like Digimon called Parasimon appearing like mad in Shinjuku and controlling a train-like Digimon called Locomon. The Tamers were able to destroy all the Parasimon and send Locomon back to the Digital World, but it was still a problem due to the overwhelming numbers the Tamers face.

"It wasn't as bad as the Parasimon," said Riley, the red-haired woman, as she remembered as well. "I mean, it was bad…but at least there was no damage done."

"There was damage done," said Yamaki, "but not by the enemy…one of our own." His eyes turned to the screen with Strikedramon. "This is the fourth time he's gone out of control since the Digimon returned."

"The first three times he lost control was in his evolved form of Cyberdramon," Riley noted, bringing up Hypnos's profiles on Cyberdramon and Ryo. "And according to Ryo, he's lost control before in the Digital World."

"But the question is…why does he lose control so often?" Yamaki wondered aloud.

"We don't know sir," answered Tally. "Ryo's profile doesn't say much about the time he spent in the Digital World prior to the D-Reaper Crisis, and neither does his partner's. It may have been something he picked up in the Digital World."

"Perhaps…" Yamaki said as he looked at Ryo's profile. "But there's much about Ryo that we don't know about. His is the shortest out of all the Tamers' profiles."

"Are you worried, sir?" asked Riley.

"I'm concerned about this," said Yamaki. "We know little to nothing about Ryo Akiyama except what the other Tamers have told us. If these outbursts of his partner's continue, there could be massive problems, such as property damage and the public distrust. If we know more about them, then we could possibly be prepared for any more outbursts in the future. Who put together the Tamers' profiles again?"

"I think it was Janyu or Shibumi sir," answered Tally, typing a little on her keyboard before speaking again. "It was Janyu."

"Call him in," Yamaki said, snapping his lighter closed again and looking at the screen with Ryo. Yamaki knew that whoever Ryo was, there was definitely more to him than met the eye.

* * *

After the Digimon partners had rested a little after the exhausting battle, the Tamers returned to Kazu's house to finish up their Digimon marathon. They were nearing the end of Season 2 when the Digital Field appeared. The Tamers continued the marathon at the 45th episode, and watched it all to the very last episode. While most of the Tamers had light smiles for the happy parts and were sad for the deaths that happened, Ryo sat in the corner of the room, looking at the TV with a slight frown on his face that became a soft glare. Once the last episode was done, Kazu went over and pulled the DVD out of the player and turned off his TV.

"You know, it's been three years since the show ended, and I still don't get the ending at all," said Kenta. "In fact, I don't get much of the second season."

"Well, the second half that is," said Henry. "I read online that there were a lot of arguments and disagreements between the writers, producers and directors about what to do for stories and plots."

"Still, it doesn't seem like a bad show," said Betamon.

"It also doesn't make sense in some cases," said Rika. "But…I like it."

"Well, I don't," Ryo said suddenly, standing up from his place in the room. "I hate it." Ryo's bold statement caused everyone to look at him with slight shock.

"Woah, really?" Kazu asked in surprise. "How come?" Ryo simply let out a 'hmmph' as he turned around and began walking out of the room with Monodramon, looking grumpy.

"Hey Ryo!" Terriermon called. "Can you tell us why you hate it for no reason whatsoever?" Ryo stopped at the threshold of the door, and looked back with a small glare.

"Because it's an absolute insult to the Digidestined!" the Tamer said angrily. "I mean, astronauts? Fashion designers? Sudden plot twists that make no sense at all? The older kids being shoved in the back and the younger ones getting little to no development? It's absolute garbage!"

"Ryo, calm down," Takato said calmly his friend. "It's just a TV show!"

"Is it, Takato?" Ryo asked in a low voice. "Is it really?" Upon hearing Ryo's words, the other Tamers looked confused at what he just said.

"Uh…what does that mean?" asked a confounded Guilmon. Ryo simply let out a huff of breath as he turned around and walked out with Monodramon.

"Hey! Ryo!" called Kenta.

"Leave me alone!" Ryo snapped before opening the door and slamming it closed, leaving a surprised silence in his wake.

"What…was that all about?" asked Mako. The young boy didn't know Ryo all that well, but he knew Ryo was usually a calm one.

"Everybody's a critic I guess," said Terriermon.

"Maybe," agreed Henry, "but that was…something else."

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare 2)

"Ryo, slow down!" Monodramon called to his partner. Ryo walked down the sidewalk with a glare on his face that slowly morphed into a frown. "I think you may have gone off the edge a bit back there!" Ryo stopped walking and breathed deeply before letting it out.

"You're right…I'm sorry…" Ryo sighed, sitting down on a nearby bench, the purple dragon sitting next to him. The teenage boy did not mean to lash out like that at his friends, but the second season of the Digimon TV show really got to him, not just because of the mess it was in the second half, but because it failed to mention…

"Ryo!" called a voice. Ryo looked up and saw Rika walking over to him, her face set in a light glare. "What's wrong with you?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"Oh…hey, Rika…" Ryo stood up and looked over to Rika. "I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't myself back there…I really haven't been myself the last couple of weeks…"

"Try the last few months, ever since our Digimon came back," corrected Rika. "Your partner has lost control over the last few months, but the only damage he really did was destroy several trees and cars, as well as cause minor damage on buildings. Today, he attacked all of us! Plus, I think they're may be something wrong with you! You look tired." This was true, as Ryo's eyes had dark shadows under them, indicating a lack of sleep.

"Why would you care?" Ryo grumbled slightly. "You don't seem to really give a crap about me…"

"Well…" Rika said, remembering the times she often showed contempt for Ryo, who she viewed as "Mr. Perfect", with no flaws or problems in his personal life, when she knew everyone had them, including herself. "…maybe I do, but that's because you act like everything's all right with you and your life, when I know it's not. You obviously have problems, but you're pushing down any problems you have so you won't have to worry about them or tell anyone about them. That's what Jeri and I used to do, but we have been getting better...although I'm more open to Renamon. Ryo seriously, what's wrong?"

"Look Rika, it's fine," Ryo said, running his hand through his face. "I've just been having some bad dreams is all, and I haven't been getting much sleep. You know people get cranky from lack of sleep…"

"Well, I highly doubt it causes you to go on a tirade on a TV show," Rika responded. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Rika stared right into Ryo's eyes, and the Legendary Tamer couldn't look away from the hard glare.

"There is…" Ryo said with a sad sigh. "And it's not just you. The other Tamers, my father, Hypnos…they don't know me…the _real_ me."

"What do you mean, the _real_ you?" Rika inquired. "And what do you mean your father doesn't know you?"

"He's not my real father!" Ryo's eyes widened when he realized what he just said, and Rika's eyes widened greatly as well.

"Not your real…?" Rika then gasped when she realized what Ryo meant. "Ryo…are you…"

"Yes. I'm adopted," Ryo said, turning around and banging his head on a phone pole. Rika was absolutely shocked at this revelation.

(Play Omoi: The Biggest Dreamer)

"How long…"

"For three years now," said the 14-year-old boy, turning back to look at Rika with a hurt expression on his face. "And it's because of the Digital World that I ended up being adopted. Rika…I was ripped away from my old family…my old life because of Digimon. I met Monodramon three years ago and we battled a monstrous Digimon that nearly destroyed the Digital World. We managed to win, but Monodramon and I ended up here in Shinjuku, with no way to return home." Rika was shocked at Ryo's story, but also confused at what he was talking about.

"Ryo, what are you talking about? Did this Digimon…kill your family?"

"No…they're still alive…but for all they know, I'm dead."

"Well, why didn't you just go home then?" asked Rika. "Why didn't you go back to your old family? They're probably worried sick about you! Did you even call them?"

"I couldn't!" said Ryo. "As far as things go, I don't exist at all in this world!" Now this really threw Rika for a loop. What did he mean he did not exist and by this world?

"Okay…now I'm really confused. What do you…"

"Do you remember episode 28 of season one of Digimon? When Gennai was telling the Digidestined of there being many worlds out there?"

"Yeah, vaguely, but what does that have to do with you?"

"Because Rika…Gennai wasn't lying…there are many worlds out there, numerous timelines and dimensions…and I'm from one of those dimensions."

Silence reigned over the area for an entire minute before Rika spoke again.

"What…you mean…"

"Yes," Ryo said, head down as Monodramon looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm from another dimension, and so is Monodramon. In fact, we come from a certain world…" Rika was about to ask again when she suddenly remembered Ryo's outburst over the second season of Digimon. It didn't seem possible at all, not even believable…but the red-haired girl had done things and seen things that were considered impossible and unbelievable in the past.

"You mean…you're from the world of the Digimon TV show?!"

"I am," confirmed Ryo, causing Rika's jaw to drop open in absolute shock. On a streetlight above them, Renamon, who had been listening to the conversation, let out a gasp of shock.

(Play Digimon: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"But…why did you never tell us?"

"Would you have believed me that I came from a world that was a TV show in this world?" Rika opened her mouth to answer, but stopped to think about it.

"Well…I don't…think I would have…"

"Exactly," said Ryo. "Monodramon and I helped the Digidestined battle a monster that would have destroyed both worlds; a monster far worse than Apocalymon…and the show never mentioned it at all…the nightmares I've been having are about that Digimon, and my old life."

"Who was this Digimon?" inquired Rika. Ryo looked over to Rika with a torn look before turning around.

"I…I need some time to think things over Rika. I promise I'll tell you and the other Tamers when I'm ready…in the meantime, promise me you won't tell anyone about me."

"Ryo..."

"Promise me!" Ryo repeated, his face still torn. Rika backed up slightly in shock, surprised to see the look on his face.

"Yes! Yes…I promise…"

"Thank you," Ryo said, shoulders slumping. "Come on Monodramon. Let's go to the park." The duo walked off as Rika looked on, a look of sadness and sympathy on her face.

'Ryo…' she thought sadly. Renamon leaped off the lamppost and landed gracefully next to Rika, placing a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Rika…are you okay?" the yellow fox asked in a tone that reminded one of a concerned sibling.

"I…I don't think so…" Rika said, looking down at the ground sadly while thinking to herself, 'Ryo's had it bad…maybe worse than any of us Tamers…and he kept it hidden better than any of us…and it's hurt him even more…' Rika walked off to her house, feeling bad for not getting to know Ryo well.

* * *

In the park, Ryo and Monodramon walked in silence, their talk with Rika and memories of their past flowing through their minds…

"Ryo?" Monodramon asked worriedly. "You're not okay, are you? I mean, Rika's really the first person you've really been honest with about your past?"

(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)

"Yeah…you're right, I'm not okay…" Ryo sighed, leaning against a tree. "These last few months have been hell on Earth for me…and I guess I took it out on the wrong people…"

"Maybe, but I don't really blame you for bashing that show," said Monodramon. "I mean, at least you got a cameo in two episodes in season two. They didn't show me at all!" Ryo couldn't help but chuckle at his partner's complaint over his lack of airtime.

"I feel you buddy," Ryo patted his friend's head. "I really didn't like that show…not just for that epilogue and screwed-up second half, but also…because I felt that was also a glimpse into the future."

"You mean Ken?"

"Yeah…seeing what happened to him in that last battle, and what he became and went through…I can't help but wonder what would have happened had we still been there." Ryo looked up at the reddening sky which was signaling the setting sun.

"Ryo…you don't know if that really happened to Ken," Monodramon placed a reassuring hand on Ryo's leg. "I mean, it wasn't just me they didn't show, and you know that! It wasn't just you and Ken that fought Millenniummon!"

"I know…and I guess that really gets to me…" Ryo said as he looked down at Monodramon. "But I have a feeling that Ken did become the Digimon Emperor because of Millenniummon's Dark Spore. You know better than anyone about Millenniummon's data." Monodramon's expression went dark as he knew what Ryo was talking about.

"I know…sometimes I feel him trying to break free…but usually when I'm Cyberdramon…but the fact that I lost it when I was Strikedramon…I can feel him more lately Ryo…and at night…I can hear him saying how his legacy still lives…" The purple dragon shuddered as he hugged himself. Ryo bent down and wrapped an arm around him for comfort.

"Easy, buddy…it's okay…" But deep down, Ryo still felt an uneasy feeling. That second season was a mess, but Ryo knew deep down that some of those things had to have happened. He knew Ken was in trouble and he needed to help him…and Ken wasn't the only one that needed Ryo's help.

"Come on," the brown-haired boy said, standing back up and heading into a certain direction.

"Where are we going?" Monodramon's question was ignored as Ryo found a staircase and went up to it. There before him was a cement shed with an iron gate. The small building before them was a shed that Takato used to keep Guilmon in back when Takato was keeping Guilmon a secret. Deep underneath the shed was a portal that led directly into the Digital World. It was through this portal that the Tamers first went to the Digital World and met Ryo, and it was this same portal that brought the Digimon back to the Human World before. The portal still remained there and was roped off by Hypnos, with only authorized personnel, being the Hypnos staff and the Digimon Tamers, allowed to approach the shed. Monodramon took one look at the shed and suddenly realized what Ryo was planning to do.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)

"Ryo…are you serious?"

"I am serious," Ryo replied, opening the gate and stepping into the shed, going down a tunnel that Guilmon had dug, which led to the portal being found. "If Ken did get infected with Millenniummon's darkness and has become the Digimon Emperor back home, then we have to get back home and help!"

"But…but there's no telling if we can get back to our world through this Digital World!" Monodramon protested as he followed his partner to the portal.

"We can't," Ryo said shortly, "but I know a few Digimon who can get us back home." Monodramon stopped short as another realization came to him.

"Oh no…you don't mean…"

"I do," Ryo said, grabbing Monodramon's hand and falling into the portal. In a flash of multicolored lights and fog, Ryo and Monodramon landed on the ground and looked up, finding themselves in a barren desert of the Digital World.

"I really hope you know what you're doing," Monodramon said, looking at the Digital Splits, purple streams of light that would teleport anyone caught in them to a random part of the Digital World.

"Usually, I do," Ryo pulled out his D-Arc and a Blue Card. Swiping the Blue Card through his D-Arc, Ryo saw a flash of light and Cyberdramon stood before him.

"Let's go!" Ryo stated, climbing on Cyberdramon's back. The armored dragon nodded and spread his wings, taking flight in the sky. After several minutes of flying, Ryo pointed to a specific Digital Split that would take them to where they needed to go. Nodding, Cyberdramon flew through the Split, and a flash of purple light, Ryo and Cyberdramon found themselves in a land with a red ground and a blood-red palace that towered over the landscape, reaching up into the sky.

"This is a bad idea," Cyberdramon muttered as he landed in front of the doors of the palace.

"It's the only idea," Ryo said, looking up at the doors and knocking on them twice. Several moments passed when the doors suddenly swung inward, allowing Ryo and Cyberdramon to enter the palace. The doors swung closed once they entered, but the duo walked forward until they reached a massive room with no roof. In the middle of the room was a giant ball of fire. Ryo gulped nervously as the ball of fire began taking shape and became a giant phoenix with four wings and four blood-red eyes that stared down Ryo and Cyberdramon. The phoenix before them was Zhuqiaomon, one of the four Digimon Sovereigns, the Guardian of the South.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ankoku~Kibou)

"Well, well, well…Ryo Akiyama," Zhuqiaomon said in a booming voice. "I trust you have a reason for coming here. Whatever your reason is, I suggest you start talking before I forcefully eject you and your partner from my castle. My opinion on humans may has changed, but not by much to allow you to disturb me for some trivial matter." Cyberdramon growled at the threat, but resisted the urge to attack the Sovereign. As powerful as he was with Millenniummon's data, it still wasn't enough to stand up to a Digimon who was practically a god.

"I assure you Zhuqiaomon, this is no trivial matter. This is a matter of great importance that concerns not only yourself, but the other Digimon Sovereigns…" Before Ryo could continue, a loud clap of thunder from overhead, ringing throughout the area. Blue clouds rolled in as a shape larger than Zhuqiaomon's appeared. This figure was a blue dragon with a long, winding body and chains on his body. Like Zhuqiaomon, he had four red eyes, but these eyes held a kindness to them. This was Azulongmon, the Sovereign of the East.

"I agree with you Ryo," Azulongmon stated as he floated down, his massive head hovering above Zhuqiaomon's castle. "It is a concern that involves not only us Sovereigns and you, but the Digidestined…and possibly, the Tamers."

"Well, then…" Ryo said, looking up at the two Sovereigns, "shall we begin?"

(Plays Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2: The Tale of the Tamer!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play Digimon: The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers Aban)

Two years have passed, and the Tamers have reunited with their Digimon partners. However, Ryo has been acting strange lately, between his dislike of the Digimon Adventure 02 series and his partner continuing to go out of control and attack his friends, and now they have gone to the Digital World alone to talk with the Sovereigns. What could this possibly mean…?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Tale of the Tamer!

It was late at night in Shinjuku and while everyone was asleep, with the exception of those with night jobs, Rika Nonaka was wide awake in bed as the memories of her talk with Ryo earlier were still fresh in her mind. What she learned about Ryo was so shocking, she had trouble falling asleep. Sitting up in bed and looking at her clock, Rika let out a groan of frustration as she noticed the time on her clock said one-thirty in the morning. Getting out of bed, Rika walked out of her room and into the courtyard, where she sat down on a rock and stuck her feet in the small lake. The redhead let out a huff as she looked up at the night sky.

'Damn it Ryo…you just had to deprive me of sleep,' she thought, though she didn't truly hold much of a grudge against Ryo for her temporary insomnia. Deep down, Rika was truly concerned for Ryo and his current state of affairs. She just didn't want to admit it to everyone in the world, least of all the other Tamers.

"Thinking about Ryo?" Renamon asked as she appeared behind Rika, who didn't look over to her. Rika snorted, not surprised at how Renamon was able to read her like a book.

"Yeah…but it's not that big of a problem…"

"It must be if you're still awake," noted the yellow fox. Rika merely said nothing as she pulled her feet out of the lake and started walking back to her room.

"Renamon, it's nothing," Rika said, looking up at her partner, who merely narrowed her eyes to the girl.

"Is it?" Rika looked up at her partner again, and sighed, knowing she couldn't get out of this easily. "Rika, if you want to talk about it, I'm right here…"

"I…I don't know Renamon…maybe not here in case my mom and grandma are heading to the bathroom and overhear us…" Rika failed to notice her partner's nod as the next thing she knew, she felt herself being lifted in Renamon's arms and the wind blew in her hair. When she was set down, Rika found herself standing on the rooftop of a building in the main part of Shinjuku.

"What the…Renamon, what are we doing here?"

"I come here often at night to think…as well as see the city at night…" Renamon answered, looking out at Shinjuku, which was filled with faint noises of nightclub music and police sirens. "I figured if I brought you here, you could tell me more about Ryo…"

"Well, you could have told me what you were doing," snapped Rika. "I'm still in my pajamas…and I don't have footwear!" This was true as Rika still wore her striped pajamas and her feet were bare. Renamon briefly nodded before going to a cardboard box and pulling out a blanket which she offered to her Tamer. Rika took the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, sitting down on a crate with Renamon sitting next to her.

"So tell me Rika…what is it about Ryo that ails you?" Renamon asked softly. Rika remained quiet as she stared out at the city lights again and then to her feet before speaking.

(Play Digimon: Last Piece)

"…Do you remember when Jeri first joined us as a Tamer? Do you remember the way she always was around us?"

"Yes, I do," answered Renamon. "She seemed like a very optimistic girl who always smiled and never seemed to have a problem, other than her doubts of being a good Tamer."

"That's what I made of her as well," said Rika, "until Leomon died and Jeri was used as a battery for the D-Reaper. Finding out about her deceased mother, and the strained relationship she had with her father and stepmother…she had it worse than I did…I just didn't notice it because I was wrapped up in the card game and being a Tamer, as well as my own family issues…I didn't realize that Jeri had it worse than I did until it was almost too late." Rika remembered sitting down with Jeri after the D-Reaper crisis and being one of the people to help her with her problems. Since then, Jeri often saw Rika as a sister figure.

"What exactly does this have to do with Ryo?" inquired Renamon.

"I'm getting to that," said Rika. "I always had a problem with Ryo, and it wasn't because he beat me in that tournament a few years back, but because he always seemed so…perfect. He could handle any situation with ease while we were struggling, he never seemed to let anything drag him down, and he never seemed like he had a problem with his family…other than leaving them for a year to be in the Digital World."

"But after the D-Reaper crisis, and after Jeri told me about her problems and why she put up a façade, I began thinking that maybe everything Ryo did was some sort of mask; that he had some problems in his past and he buried them deep within himself by acting like he did. When he started acting differently ever since you came back, I knew something was bugging him. Then he told me about being from another dimension and being adopted…and I realized he had it just as bad…maybe worse…than Jeri." Rika's face looked down once she finished speaking. Renamon's face showed no emotion, but inside she felt for Rika.

"I believe he may have had it worse than Jeri," voiced the yellow fox. "He's been separated from his friends and family for so many years, living in a world where everything and everyone he knows are literally fictional characters, with little to no way of ever returning home. He has made new friends in all of us," she referred to the other Tamers as well as herself and Rika, "but perhaps it hurts him, knowing he may never see his old friends again, nor his old family."

"I know," Rika sighed sadly. "And I want to help Ryo like I helped Jeri…but his situation is entirely different, and I don't know how exactly how I feel now about Ryo. At first, I always felt angry around him, mostly because of my hurt pride after he beat me in the tournament and didn't even recognize me when we met again in the Digital World. But now…I don't know. Maybe I'm still just the same as before."

"No, you're not," Renamon said firmly, putting her hand on Rika's shoulder. "You've come a long way since we first met Rika. When we first met, you had trouble connecting with others and letting them in, but over time you became more open with your family and those you considered your enemies who later became your friends…and you've even helped them out. You can help Ryo, but you need to let him come to you gradually."

"I guess so…" Rika muttered, feeling sleep finally consume her as she swayed off to the side. Fortunately, Renamon was able to catch her partner before she hit the ground. Picking her up in her arms, Renamon jumped over the rooftops, finally returning to Rika's bedroom.

'Just when I think I understand humans,' the yellow fox thought as she placed Rika in bed, 'I find out more about them that I don't understand.' Renamon then walked out the bedroom and jumped up to the roof of the house, observing the night sky and looking out for any threats that may come.

* * *

In the Hypnos building, Yamaki sat in his office, poring over paperwork on his desk. Some of the paperwork were reports of today's battle for the government, while other papers were of Ryo Akiyama. These papers included a newspaper clipping talking of Ryo's victory in a Digimon card game tournament two years before the D-Reaper crisis, the tournament Ryo beat Rika in; another paper was his Hypnos profile. The blond-haired man sighed as he took off his sunglasses for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose and look out the window. All seemed peaceful outside in Shinjuku and the entire world, but Yamaki knew better. The peace never lasted for long. Originally forming Hypnos to eliminate every single Digimon, Yamaki later realized that the Digimon would always be around and they would be needed to combat threats like the D-Reaper. Ever since the Digimon returned, Yamaki and the staff at Hypnos at been constantly and carefully monitoring both the Digital World and Human World, on the lookout for any incoming major threat. One would call Yamaki paranoid, but with the revelation of another world and the advancements in technology that would come in the future, Hypnos knew a new threat could come soon that would require the Digimon Tamers.

'The question is…what could the threat be?' the blond-haired man thought, returning to his desk and putting back on his sunglasses. As he returned to his paperwork, a knock on his office door caught his attention.

"Enter." The door opened and Janyu Wong, Henry and Suzie's father, stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. One of the Monster Makers, the creators of Digimon, Janyu was originally hired by Hypnos to find a way to annihilate all Digimon, later helping come up with a way to eliminate the D-Reaper. Ever since the D-Reaper crisis, Janyu and the other Monster Makers had been working with Hypnos, as they, like Yamaki, realized a threat more dangerous than the D-Reaper could always be on the horizon.

"Yamaki…you wished to see me?" Janyu asked, taking a seat in front of the Hypnos director.

"Yes, I did Janyu," answered Yamaki. "I apologize if I woke you up, but there's something we need to talk about…"

"And that is?"

"Ryo Akiyama," Yamaki answered, showing Ryo's profile to Janyu. "You were the one who compiled the profiles on the Tamers, am I correct?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Yes, but it was a joint assignment," said Janyu. "Shibumi and I both worked on the profiles, with Robert helping a bit as well."

"I'm aware of that, but I believe you were the one who talked with Ryo and took care of his profile." Janyu shifted slightly in his chair, realizing what Yamaki was talking about. He remembered the day he talked with Ryo to have his profile made, and what he learned was stuff that would have been impossible for him to put in the official Hypnos records.

"I see…is there something wrong with it?"

"To an extent," said Yamaki. "There isn't much in here about Ryo's past, only that it says he's adopted. When was this?"

"Well…Ryo said he was adopted a year before the Digimon card game tournament where he faced and beat Rika Nonaka…and then shortly after that, he vanished into the Digital World."

"Did you ever talk with his adoptive father?"

"I did. He told me that Ryo never talked much about his old family."

"Did he say anything else?" Janyu hesitated slightly before answering.

"Yes…he said that when he adopted Ryo, the boy had an egg with him that was bigger than a chicken egg. Several months later, the egg hatched into a small purple dragon. Ryo usually left the dragon at home, but a few weeks after Ryo's tournament victory, the dragon changed into a black dragon man that nearly wrecked the house. Ryo and the dragon man left the house and then they disappeared."

"I see…" Yamaki muttered as he digested this information. "So Ryo had his partner Digimon for years on end. Why exactly did you not put this in his profile?"

"I talked with Ryo's father before I talked with Ryo and put his profile together," said Janyu. "When I brought this up with Ryo, he tried to evade that topic, as well as the topic of his partner's outbursts."

"So he didn't say anything about that?" It was at this question that Yamaki knew that Janyu was hiding something, judging from the hesitant look on his face as well as the way he was fidgeting slightly in his seat. "Janyu…did Ryo tell you about his old family?"

"He did…" Janyu answered. "In fact, he told me about his entire past, but from what he told me, I wasn't sure if Hypnos would believe it…and Ryo didn't want word to get out about it."

"Get out about what?" inquired Yamaki. "What exactly did he say?"

"That he came from another dimension, and his partner as well." Yamaki's eyebrows raised up slightly upon hearing this.

(Play Digimon Tamers Shutsugen)

"Another dimension, you say? You mean, like he came from another universe?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but he seemed like he was telling the truth," answered Janyu. "He said he came from another world that had children with Digimon partners as well. Ryo and his partner were fighting a very powerful, very dangerous Digimon when a portal sucked them into our world, where he ended up being adopted."

"I see…" Yamaki said, looking at Ryo's profile again.

"Ryo also said that his partner absorbed the data of the Digimon that brought them here, and it's apparently the cause of his outbursts and tendency to attack everything and everyone around him," Janyu continued.

"Another dimension…I can see why Ryo didn't want to tell anyone about this. It sounds unbelievable, something out of a science-fiction movie, but given the existence of Digimon…"

"It does sound believable," said Janyu. Before either one of them could speak again, a buzzer on Yamaki's desk went off, alerting Yamaki to an incoming call. Reaching over to his phone, Yamaki pressed the button to allow the call to come through.

"Yamaki, it's Riley. Tally just picked up someone going into the Digital World through the portal in Guilmon's old shed." Yamaki frowned slightly at this.

"Do you have any confirmation of who it was?"

"Yes," answered Riley. "It was Ryo Akiyama." Yamaki and Janyu's eyes widened at this news.

"What?" asked Janyu. "Why would he go into the Digital World?"

"I'm not sure," said Yamaki, opening his cigarette lighter before snapping it shut. "Drat. I really needed to talk with him about this other dimension…"

"As did I," said Janyu. "We'll have to wait until he returns." Both men remained silent, wondering why Ryo went to the Digital World, and what his motives were for going there.

* * *

(Play Digimon Kanshou)

In the Digital World, Ryo and Cyberdramon stood before the Sovereigns Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon, who were two of the biggest Digimon in existence. His reasons for coming to them were simple: He needed to return to his old home dimension, and the Sovereigns, with their god-like power, were the best choice.

"So…you wish to return to your former home," Zhuqiaomon said once Ryo was done with his explanation.

"I do," said Ryo. "This TV show that I've seen in this dimension…it's a universe alternate to my own, and I'm sure you know this!"

"Yes, you are correct in that assumption," said Zhuqiaomon. "What you have seen in this television show is a lie…those events did not happen in your dimension…yet…" Ryo's eyes widened slightly at this, confirming his suspicions.

"So Ken…the shrapnel Millenniummon shot at us…it was a Dark Spore that corrupted him…" the brown-haired boy said sadly.

"Yes," Azulongmon said morosely. "Ken Ichijouji did become the Digimon Emperor due to Millenniummon's influence…but however, since the television show is alternate from your universe…it is possible that there are other forces at work as well."

"So…you're saying Myotismon…Daemon…the Dark Ocean…"

"I cannot say for sure," said Azulongmon. "As I said, the television show you saw was an alternate universe…"

"Yeah, I think I got it when I first saw it," Ryo said, thinking of past memories before returning to the present. "I just needed to be sure. So you're saying Ken did become the Digimon Emperor?"

"I'm afraid so," said Azulongmon. "As the Sovereign of your world Ryo, I have been witness to Ken's fall into darkness. I have been unable to act in your world as the Control Spires have erected a barrier of darkness that has trapped me outside of your world."

"Damn it!" cursed Ryo, who kicked a nearby rock. "So that means I can't get back home!"

"Why exactly do you want to return?" Zhuqiaomon asked skeptically. "How do you not know that the new Digidestined can handle the problems themselves?"

"Maybe they can handle it, but it's my fight as well!" said Ryo. "You know of my history with Millenniummon! And I can't ignore the fact that his evil has tainted Ken! I have to return home and finish what I started two years ago! But because Azulongmon is all but locked out of his Digital World, then that means I'm stuck here!" Ryo kicked another rock in anger and frustration, feeling that he couldn't help his old friends.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ankoku ~Kibou~)

"You are correct when you say the Control Spires prevent me from doing anything in my dimension," said Azulongmon after a long silence, "but however, that does not mean they are preventing me from doing anything here." Ryo's head shot up back to the azure dragon Digimon upon hearing this.

"Wait…are you saying you might be able to send me back home after all?"

"Yes," said Azulongmon. "If I am able to open up a portal in this dimension, you will be able to travel back to your own dimension and aid the Digidestined in combating Ken." Ryo couldn't help but smile big at this news. At last, he was finally going home.

"Then can you send me back?"

"He cannot," Zhuqiaomon said suddenly. "As powerful as Azulongmon is, he is only one Digimon Sovereign."

"Then why don't you help him?" asked Cyberdramon, who had been silent for most of the meeting. "Two heads are better than one, they say."

"I'm afraid two Sovereigns will not be enough either," the crimson phoenix stated as he looked down at Cyberdramon. "If we are to open an interdimensional portal, then we will need all the Sovereigns together." It only took Ryo a moment to process this information before speaking again.

"Okay, so you need Ebonwumon and Baihumon as well," said Ryo. "How long will it take for them to get here?"

"It will take about a week," Azulongmon answered before turning to his fellow Sovereign. "Zhuqiaomon, I leave that task to you. I shall watch over your sector in your absence." Zhuqiaomon looked over at Azulongmon as if he was offended before letting out a massive huff.

"Very well." The crimson phoenix stretched out his four wings and took flight, vanishing in a portal of fire. Once Zhuqiaomon was gone, Ryo looked over to his partner.

"Well Cyberdramon, we should get back home and get ready for the trip." Ryo and Cyberdramon turned to leave when they were stopped by Azulongmon.

"A moment please, Ryo. There is something we should talk about." Ryo turned around and looked up at Azulongmon with an uneasy look on his face. The Legendary Tamer had a suspicion of what Azulongmon wanted to talk about, and he wasn't sure if he was going to like it.

"What is it we need to talk about?" Ryo inquired, looking up at the azure dragon again.

"The other Tamers," Azulongmon answered simply. "You have not been honest with them about your past, I believe. You haven't told them the full truth of who you really are…and where you're really from…" Ryo fidgeted slightly as if he wanted to run and not have this talk, but he stayed where he was as he knew this was important.

"Well…I have told Rika and Henry's father…but I made them promise not to tell anyone else until I was ready…plus I didn't exactly tell them the full story."

"Then perhaps you should spend the next few days telling them," Azulongmon suggested. "You will need them by your side for this mission." What the Sovereign said cause Ryo to look at him with wide eyes and a look of shock.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Though Ryo had a feeling what Azulongmon meant, he still asked as he wanted to be sure, and he wanted Azulongmon to elaborate further.

"What I mean is, you should bring the other Tamers as well. Having them help you and the Digidestined could be very beneficial." Ryo was silent as he processed this information and Azulongmon's advice.

"Azulongmon…I'm not sure if I can just bring the others along for this. I will tell them everything once I get back to Shinjuku, but I can't just bring them all along. They all have school to go to, and they could be away from their families for so long. It's different for me, because while this dimension and the Tamers have been good to me, it's technically not my home…" Ryo trailed off, looking down at the ground as he thought about Takato, Rika and the others. "Besides, what's not to say that a Digimon may attack Shinjuku while we're away?"

"The other Sovereigns and I can prevent any bio-emergences from happening in your absence," Azulongmon replied. "As for the other Tamers' personal lives…I'm sure their families will understand. It is not the first time that they have left for another world."

"This is different."

"Perhaps," Azulongmon said to Ryo's statement. "But it does not matter what dimension you're from. What matters is you all have Digimon partners, and you care greatly for your home worlds, and that is more than reason to bring them along." Ryo was quiet again before he looked up at Azulongmon again.

"All right. I'll tell them, and I'll see what I can do about them coming with me."

"Good," said Azulongmon. "Besides, there may be a possibility that you'll find a familiar face in the Digidestined's world…a certain Digimon you've all been looking for." Ryo looked confused for a moment before it suddenly came to him.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digimon Tamers no Theme)

"Wait…are you saying Impmon is in my dimension?"

"Yes," said Azulongmon. "A while back, I felt a strange presence in your dimension; a presence I later realized to be Impmon. I tried to find him, but his digital signature disappeared after a while." Azulongmon's words made Ryo feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Disappeared…are you saying he may be…permanently dead?"

"I did not say he is dead," corrected Azulongmon. "His digital signature is obviously somewhere I cannot detect it…but perhaps his Tamers could find it with their Digivice." Ryo really felt uncomfortable at the thought of bringing Ai and Mako along. They may have been Tamers, but Impmon became their partner after the D-Reaper Crisis and right before the Digimon returned to the Digital World. If he brought them along…it would be the twins' first major adventure.

"Azulongmon, I'm not sure if that was a good idea…Ai and Mako are both only seven years old…"

"And some of the Digidestined were near that age when they first started out," said Azulongmon. "If they want to come with you Ryo, then there is nothing much you can do to stop it. Plus…considering the Tamers are from another dimension, I highly doubt the Control Spires will prohibit Digivolution." Ryo tried to say something, but stopped when he realized Azulongmon was right. The Tamers were given D-Arcs of their own, even Ai and Mako, and were always given a choice. If the Tamers' choice was to accompany Ryo and help them, then there was little to nothing he could do to stop it. And if what Azulongmon said was true and the Control Spires' anti-Digivolution program didn't affect the other Tamers' partner Digimon, then it would make things easier. Looking up at Azulongmon again, Ryo nodded and said, "All right…I understand Azulongmon."

"Good," Azulongmon rumbled before lifting his head up and directing it to a nearby Digital Split. "If you take that Digital Split there, it will take you back to Shinjuku." Ryo and Cyberdramon nodded in acknowledgement and flew up to the Split. A flash of light later, and the duo found themselves in a cloud of fog.

* * *

Back in Shinjuku, the alarms blared at Hypnos as the systems detected a bio-emergence.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)

"Sir, our sensors are picking up an entrance!" Tally informed Yamaki, who stood in the center of the room with Janyu Wong. "And it's right near this building!"

"Is it a Wild One?" Yamaki asked, snapping his lighter again.

"Scanning…" Tally looked at the screen before seeing a blinking blue dot on the screen. The blond-haired woman let out a gasp, realizing what it was.

"Sir! We're detecting a D-Arc signal in that Digital Field!" Yamaki and Janyu both looked up at the screen in surprise, before looking at each other in understanding.

"It appears our AWOL Tamer as returned." Janyu nodded to Yamaki, who turned around and left the room.

Everything around Ryo and Cyberdramon was white for several moments before the Digital Field dissipated, revealing the city of Shinjuku around them. Ryo looked around and was surprised to see he was standing next to a familiar building.

"It looks like we ended up right at Hypnos," Ryo noted as Monodramon, who had just degenerated from Cyberdramon, looked up in surprise as well. "Good thing too, because this is where I wanted to go right when we came back." Ryo and Monodramon began walking to the entrance to the building when the front doors opened up, revealing Yamaki standing in front of them. Though his face showed no emotion, Ryo knew that Yamaki was aware of his escapade in the Digital World.

"Ryo Akiyama…we need to talk."

"Yeah…we all need to talk," Ryo said, not backing down from Yamaki's intimidating stare. "I need you to call in all the Tamers…and that includes Jeri, Ai and Mako."

* * *

It took an hour for all the Tamers to be called in to Hypnos. As it was still early Saturday morning, most of the Tamers, especially Rika, were sleeping in when they received the call. Though they were still tired, all of the Tamers managed to make it, though some of them still wore their pajamas.

"What were you thinking going off into the Digital World in the middle of the night, you moron?!" scolded Rika, who was understandably grouchy due to only getting a few hours' sleep. "Especially with your partner going off the axe handle when nobody expects it?!"

"Oh, take it easy Rika!" Kazu reassured the red-haired Tamer. "I'm sure Ryo was able to handle anything that attacked him!"

"Monodramon and I didn't get into any fights," said Ryo. "We went to the Digital World so we could talk with Zhuqiaomon." This caused the Tamers to look up in surprise, Terriermon and Lopmon being the most surprised.

"Wow! You actually talked to turkey-face and walked out alive?" asked Terriermon. "You must be one lucky Tamer!"

"Well, Zhuqiaomon's opinion on humans has changed slightly," Ryo rubbed the back of his head, "and it also helped that Azulongmon was there as well."

"Why did you need to talk with the Sovereigns Ryo?" Lopmon questioned the Legendary Tamer. Ryo took a deep breath, looked at Monodramon who gave Ryo a reassuring nod, and looked back at the Tamers answering, "We were talking about where I really came from."

"Where you really came from?" asked a confused Kokuwamon. Most of the Tamers were wondering what Ryo meant, but Rika and Renamon both sat up in surprise, realizing what Ryo was talking about.

"There's something I need to tell you guys," Ryo said, his voice now clear and strong. "The only ones that know were Henry's dad, Rika, Renamon and Yamaki, but they don't know the full story, until now."

"What story?" asked Betamon. Ryo took another deep breath and said, "I…am not from this dimension. I was born in another dimension…on another Earth." All was silent as the Tamers digested this bombshell of information.

"Another…dimension?" asked Henry, who was the smart one of the group.

"You're an alien?!" Ai and Mako asked in surprise. Ryo couldn't help but chuckle at the young twins' outburst.

"No, no…I'm not an alien. I'm a human being very much like you. What I mean is I come from another Earth that's very much like ours…but it's different."

"Oh…" the twins both said, now realizing what Ryo was saying.

"You're kidding!" Takato gasped.

"No I'm not," said Ryo, who looked serious again. "In fact, I'm not just from any other dimension…I come from the earth of the Digidestined." A stunned silence fell over the room again. Takato, Kazu and Kenta all had their jaws hitting the floor in shock.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"That…that can't be," Henry said with a frown. "The Digidestined are just characters in a TV show."

"So were Digimon, but they're very much real," countered Ryo. "I'm not kidding, the Digidestined are real."

"He's not lying," voiced Renamon, who could read people just by their body language. "His posture, the way he is composing himself, he is telling the truth."

"And from the way he smells, he's not lying," said Guilmon, who walked up to Ryo and sniffed the hem of his pants before sniffing Monodramon. The purple dragon backed away slightly until Takato pulled his partner back.

"Ryo…if you really did come from the world of the Digidestined…then did you…"

"Yes," Ryo said, knowing full well what Takato was prepared to ask. "I met the Digidestined…the original eight, to be exact."

"WHAT?!" yelled Takato, Kazu and Kenta.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Li no Theme)

"No way!" Kazu said in excitement. "I knew you were cool before Ryo, but now…!"

"So you actually met Tai and Matt and the others?!" Kenta asked excitedly as well. "Then that means you must have fought alongside WarGreymon and Angemon and…"

"Hey, hey guys, let's focus here!" Takato said, though it was clear the goggled Tamer was just was excited about all of this as well. "As much as I want to geek out, let's let Ryo continue speaking!"

"Great, now those two are going to be worshipping Ryo like a god now," Rika grumbled, looking at Kazu and Kenta with narrowed eyes.

"Thank you," Ryo said to Takato before continuing. "Yes, I did fight alongside the Digidestined before. It's a battle that never made the show, nor did it make any of the other media platforms for some reason."

"What happened exactly?" Suzie asked curiously. Ryo took another deep breath before really diving into his story.

(Play Digimon FIGHTING SOUL)

"It all started on New Year's Eve 1999. I was in my room playing with my computer when my screen lit up and a Digivice came out of it. When I touched it, I was instantly sucked into my computer and I found myself in the Digital World. At first I thought it was just a dream, but when a Kuwagamon attacked me and cut my arm open with his pincers, I realized that this was no dream. It was very much real."

"You got attacked by a Kuwagamon?" asked Jeri. "Didn't the first Digidestined get attacked by a Kuwagamon their first day in the Digital World?"

"Strangely, yes," Ryo chuckled before continuing. "Kuwagamon kept chasing me until Tai's partner Agumon came to my rescue. He managed to fight off the Kuwagamon and he took me to Gennai's house, where Gennai told me of a new threat in the Digital World: Millenniummon."

"Millenniummon?" asked Kazu. "I've never heard of that Digimon."

"I'm surprised, yet not surprised that you haven't heard of him," said Ryo. "Millenniummon was a very powerful Mega level Digimon, far more powerful than Apocalymon. Millenniummon rose to power after Apocalymon fell, and he began taking over the Digital World, creating clones of Devimon, Myotismon, Etemon and Piedmon to aid him. The Digidestined attempted to fight them, but they were all captured with the exception of Agumon, who managed to escape with Tai's Digivice and send me the distress signal."

"Gennai told me that I had been chosen as a new Digidestined to help free Tai and his friends. I received my own Digivice, which was very much like the ones Tai and his group had, and Monodramon became my Digimon partner."

"So Monodramon is also from the Digidestined's dimension…" Henry noted, looking over at the purple dragon.

"Ryo and I set out with Agumon to fight Millenniummon and his cronies, as well as save the other Digidestined," Monodramon continued the story. "Along the way, I was able to Digivolve to Strikedramon and later Cyberdramon, and we managed to recruit a number of Digimon to our cause. Eventually, we freed everyone and we all came together to fight Millenniummon."

"No way," breathed Takato. "And you won, didn't you?"

"We did, but it was incredibly difficult at first," Ryo sighed, remembering that day. "I wasn't joking when I said Millenniummon was more powerful than Apocalymon. He had control over time and space and he could create his own dimensions to fight in. We were being royally thrashed, with only two Mega level Digimon and seven Ultimate levels. Most of the Digidestined were close to giving up, but I refused to back down against Millenniummon, and Tai and Matt refused as well. The other Digidestined soon got their second wind, and what happened next was no short of a miracle and amazing."

"What happened?" asked Guilmon.

(Play Digimon Adventure Brave Heart)

"Cyberdramon Digivolved to Justimon for the first time ever," Ryo answered, smiling brightly as he thought back to that day. "And it wasn't just him. Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon and Gatomon…they Digivolved to the Mega level as well."

"No…way!" Kenta said in surprise. "You mean like in that Digimon Adventure game on the PSP?"

"Exactly like the game," answered Ryo. "In fact, the Mega levels were all the same. Biyomon became Hououmon, Tentomon became HerculesKabuterimon, Palmon became Rosemon, Gomamon became Vikemon, Patamon became Seraphimon, and Gatomon became Ophanimon."

"Wait, so Gatomon's Mega level is Ophanimon and not Magnadramon?" Kazu asked in confusion. "But in the Hurricane Touchdown movie…"

"I highly doubt it's considered 'canon' in my home dimension," said Ryo. "Anyway…with nine Mega level Digimon, we were able to fight back against Millenniummon and we managed to defeat him, ending his reign of terror on the Digital World. Afterwards, we all returned to the Digital World, and I made a promise to Monodramon that we would see each other again."

"That's amazing," Guilmon said, sitting on the floor as he munched on some bread Takato had brought along.

"But wait," said Henry. "How exactly did you get here to this dimension then?"

"Ooh, boy…" Ryo huffed, running a hand through his head. "This is where it gets really crazy…"

"We're all ears!" Terriermon chirped, raising his long ears up to listen better.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"It was a few months later…to be more exact, it was a week after the War Game movie…where Omnimon fought Diaboromon. I was called back to the Digital World to fight Millenniummon again. He returned and he was stronger than before and he had managed to capture all of the Digidestined's partners and turn them into stone. It was just me and Monodramon…but we weren't alone."

"You weren't?" asked Suzie. "Was someone else with you?"

"Oh, there was," said Ryo. "Tell me, do anyone of you remember Ken's backstory episode in season two?"

"Yeah, they showed a flashback of his first time in the Digital World," answered Kazu. "He was Wormmon and another…kid…" the visor-wearing boy trailed off as he looked at Ryo with a look of absolute shock. Kenta and Takato suddenly realized it as well as the other Tamers.

"Yes," Ryo said with a nod. "I was that kid with Ken."

"HOLY SMOKES!" yelled Kazu. "You were on TV?!"

"For all of a few seconds," Monodramon grumbled. "And they didn't even show me at all in the show!"

"Well, considering how crazy you get as Cyberdramon, they probably wanted to think of the children watching," Terriermon joked, causing Monodramon to glare darkly.

"Terriermon…"

"Moumantai!" Terriermon said to his Tamer. Ryo sighed before continuing.

"That was Ken met Wormmon for the first time, and he received his Crest of Kindness. During our travels, Ken was able to get Wormmon to Digivolve to Stingmon, and later to Dinobeemon, his Ultimate level."

"Dinobeemon?" asked Kazu. "Isn't he an alternate DNA Digivolution of ExVeemon and Stingmon, besides Paildramon?"

"Yes, but Stingmon didn't need to fuse with an ExVeemon to become Dinobeemon," said Ryo. "We eventually fought Millenniummon again, and after a long, tiring battle. We managed to beat him, but he still had some strength left as he was dying. He managed to get a second wind and fired black shrapnel at me. Ken pushed me out of the way and…"

"…and the Dark Spore flew into him and he became the Digimon Emperor," Rika finished, realizing what happened next.s

"Yes," Ryo said, looking very down. "I didn't know what happened, only that Ken was writhing on the ground in pain and holding his neck. I came to the conclusion that Millenniummon had hurt Ken somehow…and when that happened…I just snapped and I charged him with Justimon. We put everything we had into one last attack, but the next thing we knew, a portal was created from Justimon and Millenniummon's attacks colliding, and we were sucked into the Digital World in this dimension."

"What happened then?" asked Calumon, who had been chewing on some bread with Guilmon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"We tried to continue fighting Millenniummon but ending up in a new Digital World revitalized him. He was too powerful for us to fight alone, so in the end Monodramon made a huge gamble. Taking advantage of the data-absorption properties of this dimension, Monodramon went right at Millenniummon and forced a DNA-Digivolution between himself and Millenniummon."

"You mean to say he deliberately absorbed Millenniummon's data?" asked Renamon, her eyes showing a rare widened expression.

"It was a huge gamble, but Monodramon managed to absorb his data, and taking advantage of Milenniummon's shock, he forced Millenniummon's consciousness down and subdued him, becoming a DigiEgg in the process. After that, my Digivice turned into my D-Arc and I found myself in Shinjuku. I immediately realized that I was stuck in another dimension with no way to return home. It hit me hard, but I knew I just had to suck it up and accept it. I went into an orphanage with Monodramon's egg and I was later adopted."

"Oh my," Kokuwamon said in shock. "That must not have been pleasant."

(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)

"Hey, you want to talk about unpleasant?" asked Monodramon. "Unpleasant is having the data of an evil Digimon being stuck in you for who knows how long, trying to break free and affect your mind. Why do you think I go crazy more than once?"

"So that's why you've been losing control," said Renamon. "Millenniummon is constantly fighting you for control."

"It's a bitch, let me tell you," Monodramon sighed, sitting down next to Ryo. "And it's gotten worse because of what's going on back home."

"You mean in your home dimension?" asked Ai.

"Yes," said Ryo. "When I saw the second season of the Digimon TV show for the first time ever, I was shocked to see what Ken had become. At first, I didn't know what caused it. But then I saw episode 43 where they had a flashback of our last fight with Millenniummon, and when I saw the Dark Spore fly in his neck, I realized he had been corrupted by Millenniummon's influence."

"So the Dark Spore acting up in Ken may have been reacting to Millenniummon's data in Monodramon, or it was the data reacting to the Dark Spore," Henry theorized.

"Either way, it's still affecting Monodramon and Ken," Ryo said darkly. "That TV show is a reality completely alternate to my own. While the TV show events may have already come and gone in another reality…they're just starting in my dimension. I talked with Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon about this, and they confirmed it. I asked them if they could send me back and they said yes. It's going to take them a few days, because they'll need Baihumon and Ebonwumon to do it."

"So you're going back home alone?" Kazu asked, looking down somewhat. "Aw, man! I wanted to meet the Digidestined! Do you think they do autographs?"

"Get your head on straight!" snapped Rika. "This is serious! If you did go with Ryo, you'd need to focus more on fighting Ken and whatever else is there, and less on getting autographs from the Digidestined!"

"And you will have to Kazu," said Ryo. "I can't do this alone, guys. I need your help."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Takato no Theme)

"Wait…you mean you want us to come along with you to your home?" Takato asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Yes," Ryo said with a nod. "With all of us Tamers helping the Digidestined, it will make things much easier. Because your Digimon are different, they can Digivolve without worrying about the Control Spires."

"Awesome!" said Kenta.

"Yeah, for you," Mako said with a sad look. "Ai and I can't come. We don't have Impmon with us."

"And as for me…" Jeri said looking down as she remembered Leomon. Takato sensed her distress and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Like I'd leave you guys out of it," Ryo said with a light smile. "Besides…Azulongmon said Impmon was caught in some kind of dimensional portal and ended up there."

"Wait, you mean Impmon is in another Digital World?" asked a surprised Mako. Ryo nodded, and the twins' faces both lit up with excitement.

"Impmon is in another dimension?" Guilmon asked, surprised at this as well.

"That may explain why Hypnos's scanners have been unable to find him in our Digital World," Henry muttered.

"Still…this is a little crazy," said Takato, "that you come from another dimension that's a TV show in this one. I mean, you went on these crazy adventures and you were only reduced to cameos in two episodes. I can see why you didn't like the second season that much."

"There's more to it than that," said Ryo. "Yes, I was a little pissed that they didn't show much of me and Millenniummon, although I am somewhat grateful for it, and I was mad about the epilogue because I knew Tai and the others well, and I know that definitely isn't the right kind of careers for them…although I do agree with the positions that Joe, Izzy and Kari ended up with, as well as TK's…but there's more to it. The TV show was a completely parallel universe to my own."

"Parallel how?" asked Calumon.

"Well, like Monodramon said, he was never on the show," Ryo started, "although the only Digimon in Monodramon's evolution line that was created at that time for the media was Cyberdramon, so it is a little understandable…but that they only showed me and Ken fighting Millenniummon in those brief moments."

"So you and Ken were accompanied by someone else?" asked Renamon.

"Yes. The child that was with us was someone who would become very important in the Digidestined's future. Someone who was exposed to the dangers of the Digital World and gained his partner Digimon in my home dimension long before he ever did in the show. The boy's name was…Davis Motomiya, the Digidestined of Miracles, partnered to Veemon." A long, stunned silence filled the Hypnos conference room before everyone, including Renamon and Calumon, yelled out loud, "WHAT?!"

(Play Days ~Aijou to Nichijou~ TV Size)

 **END CHAPTER 2**


	3. Chapter 3: The One Who Inherits Courage!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

It was warm summer's day in the year of 2000. All around the city of Odaiba anyone who had no jobs or any obligations to worry about were enjoying the warm weather. Kids were swimming about in pools, eating ice cream, playing games at the arcade, playing in the park, or just relaxing in the air-conditioned comfort of their homes. Most of these children had no worries. One child, however, did have a problem.

"Darn it…that kid just had to hit me in my injury." Nine-year-old Davis Motomiya, a brown-haired boy with a pair of square goggles around his neck, was limping down the street to his apartment building. He had been playing a game of soccer with some other boys his age when one of them kicked the ball into Davis's stomach by accident. The effect was instantaneous as Davis felt a surge of pain and fell to his knees. Though Davis often walked off any other injuries he would receive, he had an injury for nearly a year that still hurt every now and then, especially if his lower body, where he received the injury, was struck. Davis tried to walk it off, but it hurt like crazy, so as much as he didn't want to do it, Davis pulled out of the soccer game and went home so he could tend to it.

'I hope Jun is home and nobody else,' Davis thought as he entered his apartment building and took the elevator to his floor. Walking into his family's apartment, Davis left his shoes in the hallway and called out, "Hello?"

"Back already Davis?" a girl's voice rang out. A nearby door opened up and out walked Davis's 12-year-old sister, Jun Motomiya, a girl with spiky hair. Jun looked over and gasped when she saw her brother clutching her side, recognizing the problem instantly.

"Davis, what happened?" Jun asked, running over and helping her brother into his bedroom.

"Soccer ball," Davis said shortly as Jun helped him sit on his bed. "It still hurts when it's hit hard."

"Oh god…" Jun said worriedly, running out of the bedroom and returning moments later with a first aid kit. Placing the kit down next to her brother, Jun bent down on one knee and lifted Davis's shirt up to see the injury, wincing slightly and taking in a short breath of air. There on his side was a long, pink scar that stood out from Davis's slightly tanned skin.

"Well…it's not bleeding, but I think it's just stinging slightly from that hit," Jun pulled out a bottle of cream and opened it, rubbing some on Davis's wound. The boy flinched slightly, but relaxed as the cream did its work and eased the slight burning he felt from the injury.

"Well, that should do it," Jun said, replacing the cream bottle in the first aid kit before closing the kit. "It's a good thing Mom and Dad weren't home."

"Yeah, the scar isn't an easy thing for them…especially how I got it." Davis's expression darkened slightly as he remembered the circumstances that led to his scar last August. A deep fog…numerous scared children, one of them his own sister…a white cat surrounded by many ghosts…and an evil, smirking vampire with a blood-red whip…

"I can't believe they're still trying to deny how you got that scar," Jun said with a slight frown. "The nerve of them to say you got hurt when you ran through the balcony door and the glass broke…I mean, you may be a klutz sometimes, but not that klutzy."

(Play Digimon: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Hey, stop that!" Davis said, slightly offended at his sister's insult before going back to the topic at hand. "Besides, can you really blame them for denying the truth? I mean, when you've been kidnapped and held hostage by monsters, you do tend to end up in a state of denial." Jun frowned again and couldn't help but nod. She had been there when her family was held hostage at the Big Sight convention center, and she had seen Davis gotten hurt with her own eyes. She wanted so much to help her brother, but was unable to if she didn't want to be killed. Their parents, who were shaken by the ordeal just as much as their children were, often denied what happened that day.

"Still, if there's any good to this, it's that Tai wasn't there today," Davis said, leaning back on the headrest of his bed."

"You still haven't told him about that injury?" asked a surprised Jun. Taichi Kamiya, Tai to his friends, was a brown-haired boy who was Jun's age, and his hair was very much like Jun's only to a more wild extent. Davis had met Tai three years ago when he was six and had signed up for the junior soccer team. Tai had been Davis's coach and the young boy was instantly enthralled by Tai's soccer skills. Before long, Tai had become Davis's mentor. The entire reason Davis wore goggles was to emulate Tai, who wore a pair of goggles himself. The difference was whereas Davis's goggles were square and hung around his neck, Tai's goggles were round and fitted perfectly on his head.

Shortly after Davis began learning soccer from Tai, he was introduced to two more people in Tai's life. One was Sora Takenouchi, a red-haired tomboy whose mother was a master of ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement. Tai and Sora had known each other since they were six years old, and had a strong bond of friendship, though Davis, being the young kid he was, often teased them of being something more, which often caused both of their faces to turn red. Like Tai, Sora played soccer as well, and often gave pointers for Davis when Tai was unable to. Davis had come to see Sora as a sister figure to be with whenever Jun wasn't around.

The other person was someone who Davis considered his best friend, and that was Tai's younger sister Kari. The same age as Davis, Kari's full first name was Hikari, Japanese for light. Davis thought that name was appropriate for Kari, as she always seemed to light up everybody around her with her smile and kindness. The first true friend Davis had ever made, Kari and Davis did a number of things together, and Davis always saw Kari as someone that could help him lift his spirits if he was ever down. Although Davis told Kari a lot of things, he still had yet to tell her – or Tai and Sora for that matter – about his injury.

"No…I haven't told him yet. And Sora and Kari don't know about it either." Jun frowned again at Davis's words, surprised slightly that Davis had never told his best friend about his injury.

"But why haven't you told them?"

"Because I don't want them to worry so much over it," said Davis, looking downcast. "Besides, if I want to continue playing soccer, then I can't let anyone know about this. They could just see me as a liability and unable to play."

"Davis, they won't see you as a liability if you tell them," Jun said, offering comfort to her brother by sitting next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sure they'll be able to make precautions and find ways to make sure your injury doesn't get in the way when you play. Besides, your wound is still just a year old. Give it a couple of more years, and I highly doubt it will continue hurting if it gets hit." Davis smiled lightly at his sister's comfort and wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug.

"Thanks Jun. That means a lot."

"Plus," Jun said as she wrapped her other arm around Davis in a full hug, "I'm sure when you and Kari get older, Kari will look at that scar and think how hot you look with it." The burgundy-haired girl couldn't help but burst out laughing when Davis's face became redder than a tomato.

"Will you not?! Kari and I are only nine! And besides, we're just friends!"

"Sure you are, Davis," Jun said, winking sarcastically as Davis glared at her.

"Well, what about that kid you've been meeting in your music classes? What's his name, he's the one with the blond hair…"

"His name is Matt, and there's nothing between us!" Jun huffed indignantly, her face now as red as Davis's. "He's just a good friend of mine!"

"Oh, so that's why you've been talking to him on the phone lately," Davis said with a smirk.

"Because that's what friends do!" Jun exclaimed. Though Davis and Jun did love each other as any sibling would, they still often teased each other and got on their nerves. Davis just laughed at the look on Jun's face when the screen of the computer in his room suddenly lit up brightly. This caused both siblings to look at the screen in surprise.

"What the…Davis, what is this?" Jun asked in confusion.

"I…I don't know," Davis said, just as confused as his sister. The screen glowed white for a moment before it started flashing different colors. Both Davis and Jun looked uneasy at the computer's strange behavior. A week ago, the computer – all of the electronics in the apartment and all around Odaiba, for that matter – acted strangely for nearly the entire day. When Davis and Jun attempted to look into it, they were greeted with the sight of a strange white figure battling what looked like something out of a nightmare. Eventually, the white figure killed the monster and the electronics began working properly again. No official explanation was given, but both Davis and Jun wondered if that monster the white figure was fighting was behind it all.

"I just hope this isn't like last week…" Jun said uneasily as the screen stopped flashing bright colors and suddenly let out a flash of light. Davis and Jun yelled in surprise, covering their eyes from the brightness of the light. Through their fingers, they could see something small actually come out of the computer. The small object floated in the air before gently lowering itself on the floor. Once the object hit the floor, the screen stopped glowing and the computer was silent again. Moving their hands down from their faces, Davis and Jun were greeted with a small pale blue object with a square screen, three buttons and a small antenna.

"What…what is that?" Davis asked in shock. "How did it…come out of the computer?"

"I…I'm not sure," Jun answered, slowly approaching the device and reaching out, pulling back several times as if the device would suddenly come to life and eat her face. After several pull backs, Jun grabbed the device off the floor and looked at it. "Whatever it is…I'm not sure if it's a normal device."

"Let me see!" Davis said, reaching out for the device. Jun looked at the device again and then at Davis. Some strange feeling inside of her was telling her not to give it to Davis, and she wasn't sure why. Deciding to listen to her brother, Jun gave the device to Davis, who looked it over. The small boy's eyes were narrowed at first before widening.

"Jun, I…I think I know what this is."

"You do?" asked a surprised Jun.

"At Big Sight last year," said Davis, who had walked up to Jun, who was near his computer. "I saw a girl wearing pink pajamas among the other children, and she had a device that looked like this…"

(Play Digimon: Ijou Jitai Hassei!)

But before Davis could speak again, the computer screen suddenly lit up again, shining the white light over the room. Jun was forced to cover her eyes and see through her fingers. What she saw next absolutely shocked her. Davis and the device both glowed the same white light, and actually went into the computer. Moments later, the light died down again and the computer was shut down. At first, Jun thought that the blinding effects of the light got to her eyes and Davis vanishing with the strange device was an illusion, but once her vision was clear, she realized this was no hallucination.

"D…Davis!" Jun called out, sincerely hoping her brother would answer. Sadly, there was no answer.

"Davis, come on! This isn't a time to play hide and seek!" Jun yelled, looking under Davis's bed and in his closet before looking throughout the entire apartment. She looked in every possible hiding place for Davis, but there was no sign of him.

"Davis…this isn't funny!" the preteen girl screamed, very close to panicking now.

"DAVIS!"

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Calling a meeting with the other Digimon Tamers, Ryo Akiyama revealed he came from another dimension, home to the Digidestined, and was brought to the Tamers dimension when fighting a Digimon called Millenniummon. He also revealed that Davis Motomiya was with him in the Digital World. What became of Davis…?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The One Who Inherits Courage!

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Gekitotsu!)

"EVERYONE RUN FOR SAFETY! THE DIGIMON EMPEROR'S HERE!"

The scream echoed across an area in the Digital World. Hearing the scream, the many Digimon in the area began running, or in some cases, flying, away when they saw a tall black obelisk standing on a nearby hill. Standing in front of the obelisk was a young human boy sporting wild, midnight-blue hair. Clad in a blue and white uniform and cape, with purple-lensed golden glasses sitting on his face to conceal his eyes, the young boy smirked as he saw the chaos around him. This boy was the Digimon Emperor, the cause of many problems for the Digital World in the last few months. Pulling out a long leather whip from inside his cape, the Digimon Emperor cracked it in the air.

Upon the sound of the whip snapping, a barrage of small black rings flew out from behind the Emperor and into the air, descending upon the forest the Digimon were escaping into.

The Digimon ran like crazy, hoping the Dark Rings would not get them…but the Emperor had more than enough. In the air, a unicorn with wings dodged one Dark Ring, but a second one suddenly clamped over his neck. The unicorn screeched as he fell out of the sky. In the forest, a grey rabbit Digimon looked back at the Ring chasing him. This move was costly as the ring immediately closed around his neck. Another Digimon made entirely out of gray rocks tripped on a tree root that he did not see, which allowed the Dark Ring chasing him to clamp over his waist.

As the rings clamped around their victims, a mysterious language appeared in blood red writing on the rings before vanishing. The Digimon wearing the rings stood up, their eyes now glowing blood-red. Though they were still alive, their free wills had been robbed. They were now slaves to the Digimon Emperor.

One Digimon, however, was proven difficult to capture: A small white cat with purple tips on her ears and tail, green and red gloves with sharp claws on her front paws, and a golden ring inscribed with a strange language on her purple-striped tail. This Digimon was Gatomon, a Champion level Digimon who was partnered to one of the Digidestined.

"Damn it…" Gatomon cursed as she looked around at the chaos happening as she ran from a Dark Ring that pursued her. This was the Digimon Emperor's MO: Strike when they least expected it. Gatomon and her friends knew of this, but they had been foolish in letting their guard down. Now, all Gatomon could do was run from the ensuing chaos. Though she wanted to help the Digimon she considered her friends and attempt to stop this, as was her duty as a protector of the Digital World, her survival instincts, sharper than her other friends', told her to run, for if she was captured, she could not help.

Gatomon looked back at the ring chasing her and gasped when she realized it was practically on top of her. Taking a risk, Gatomon leapt into the air to prevent the ring from claiming her as a slave. As she leapt, her tail ring touched the dark ring and glowed brightly. The dark ring suddenly dropped down to the ground with a clunk. Surprised at this, Gatomon slowly approached the dark ring and touched it, realizing that it must have run out of power when it came in contact with her ring.

"That was a close one," Gatomon muttered as she turned around and gasped. Standing before her was the winged unicorn Unimon. His visor glowed blood-red, a Dark Ring wrapped around his neck. Knowing she could be captured by other Digimon if she fought Unimon, Gatomon looked around for an escape, but only saw thick trees around her. She was trapped.

"HOLY SHOT!" Unimon yelled as he opened his mouth and fired a blue ball of energy from it. The ball collided with Gatomon and the small cat Digimon was forced off her feet from the force of the attack. Gatomon could only yell as she flew through the air and collided with a tree. Looking up, Gatomon gasped seeing Unimon was already in front of her and had raised his hoof to stomp on her. Gatomon tried to move, but the past few weeks of simply running, and Unimon's attack, exhausted her. As she closed her eyes to prepare for the worse, Unimon suddenly let out a scream of pain and surprise.

Opening her eyes, Gatomon saw a small figure as big as her, wearing a brown cloak, had attacked Unimon and was wrestling him to the ground with his arms wrapped around Unimon's neck. From what Gatomon could see of her savior, his arms were a shade of blue that reminded her of her own eyes.

"Woah there, horsey!" the cloaked figure said as he tightened his hold on Unimon. The winged Digimon thrashed around, attempting to throw his attacker off, but Unimon started becoming dizzy due to a lack of oxygen. Unimon moved forward and collapsed on his side, the cloaked figure leaping off and landing in front of Gatomon, offering her a hand up.

"Hey…are you okay?"

"I…I think so," Gatomon answered, accepting the hand. The white cat was pulled up on her feet. Gatomon stumbled slightly, but regained her balance. "Thank you…whoever you are."

"You'll find out who I am later," the figure said as he picked up the black ring Gatomon's tail had deactivated. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

"I agree," said Gatomon, who began running off with the cloaked Digimon as she thought to herself, 'I just hope Agumon and the others are able to evade capture…and I really hope Kari gets here soon with the other Digidestined! If the Digimon Emperor, a human, was able to get here to the Digital World, then that means the Digidestined will be able to as well!'

* * *

It was early morning in the Odaiba in the Human World. 12-year-old Davis Motomiya lay in bed, trying to get some sleep before he had to wake up for school. But it was difficult to sleep. The last few weeks Davis had been struggling to get a proper night's sleep. His mind was plagued with memories of his past…terrible memories that still traumatized him to this day.

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi)

 _"Ken! Come on Ken, you've got to wake up!" Davis could only look on in worry as he looked down at Ryo attempting to shake the young boy awake. Ken had been hit by shrapnel that Millenniummon had fired at them moments ago, shrapnel that Ken took from protecting Ryo and Davis. As Ryo shook Ken's left side, the young boy's partner Digimon Wormmon, who had reverted from Dinobeemon after being hit by Millenniummon's attack, was by Ken's other side._

 _"Ryo, Davis, please! You've got to help Ken!" the little caterpillar said, his eyes welling up with tears._

 _"I know we have to help him Wormmon, but we can't do much right now while Justimon and Imperialdramon are still fighting!" An explosion from the sky above sounded, and the two boys and one Digimon looked up to see a humanoid figure with a red scarf and a robotic right arm crash down in front of them._

 _"Justimon!" Ryo yelled, heading over to his partner Digimon, who had been fighting Millenniummon in his Mega level. "What's happening up there?"_

 _"Im…Imperialdramon swatted me out of the sky," Justimon groaned as he stood back up. "He said he was going to cut loose against Millenniummon, and he didn't want me to get caught in the explosion."_

 _"Cut loose…?" Davis asked, a horror suddenly coming to him. Looking up in the sky, Davis saw flashes of light and loud roaring, indicating Imperialdramon's battle with Millenniummon. Running off into the middle of the desert, Davis got a better view of the fight. Even though the two Digimon were hidden in the clouds and dust, Davis could make out the giant figure of his partner's Mega level. Davis quickly pulled out his Digivice and pressed a button on it so he could speak to Imperialdramon._

 _"Imperialdramon, what are you doing?! Justimon said you were going to cut loose!"_

 _"I have to, Davis!" Imperialdramon's voice said from the Digivice. "This fight has gone on for far too long, and Ken has been hurt because of it! I'm going to give hit this monster with every last ounce of energy that flows within me!"_

 _"No…! No, you can't!" Davis yelled, his eyes watering. "You know how dangerous your energy can be! You'll…you'll die!" The last part came out as a whisper. The child of Miracles had been through too much with Veemon to lose him._

 _"At least I'll die…knowing you're safe," Imperialdramon said, causing several tears to fall down Davis's face. "Davis…I promise this isn't the end. I'll be back someday…we'll be together. I'm sure you know it."_

 _"I…I know," Davis said, his eyes now fully leaking tears. He normally wasn't one to cry, but this was a time where he didn't bother holding back his tears. "We'll see each other someday."_

 _"Goodbye Davis." These were Imperialdramon's last words as the connection cut off and the dragon-shaped shadow flew right into the massive shadow that Davis knew was Millenniummon. Two loud roars were heard as Imperialdramon's shadow glowed brightly before a massive explosion lit up the sky. Millenniummon fell out of the sky and crashed into the desert, Davis being thrown off his feet from the shockwaves. Landing back near Ryo, Ken, Justimon and Wormmon, the burgundy-haired boy looked up and saw something falling towards him. Squinting his eyes to get a better look, Davis's eyes widened when he saw it was a blue egg with golden marks on it. It was a DigiEgg, and not just any DigiEgg._

 _"Vee…Veemon…" Davis gasped, grabbing the egg and looking down at it. It was too much as the goggled boy fell to his knees and let out a wail of despair over seeing his partner die in front of him._

 _"Veemon…Ken…" Davis choked out as Ryo wrapped an arm around him for comfort. The sound of growling suddenly got everybody's attention as Millenniummon, injured by the attack, stood back up with a furious look in his face._

 _"This…has gone on long enough! INFINITY CANNON!" The cannons on Millenniummon's back glowed bright and released a burst of energy. Davis could only stare in shock through tear-covered eyes as the attack inched closer…_

END FLASHBACK

"NO!" Davis yelled, waking up and shooting up in bed like a rocket. Breathing heavily like he had just run across all of Japan nonstop, the boy could feel the sweat sliding down off his face and sticking to his yellow pajama shirt, his heart beating like mad in his chest. Taking a deep breath to calm down his beating heart, Davis took a few moments to collect himself and get a look at his surroundings. He was not in the Digital World, but in his bedroom.

"Damn it…another nightmare…" Davis cursed under his breath as he glanced at his clock, which read 6:05. Groaning slightly as he knew he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep, Davis kicked off his blanket and went over to his dresser, grabbing his blue shirt with white stripe, blue vest, brown shorts, blue socks and square goggles. A few moments later, Davis had changed and stepped out into the living room of his apartment, which was mostly silent. Davis figured his parents had left for work already and Jun was still sleeping. But his mind was still on the nightmare he just had.

"Easy, Davis…it was just a dream," he reminded himself, though he knew what he dreamed was very much real and happened two years ago. Even though it had been two years ago, the memory of the Digital World was ingrained in his mind as if the adventures he went through with Ken and Ryo had just happened yesterday. The horrific memories of what Davis went through were often the majority of his nightmares.

However, while Davis did have bad memories, he also had memories of good times in the Digital World, and Davis often dreamed of those memories. Dinners around campfires with his Digimon partner who became like a brother to him, as well as two boys that became his closest friends, goofing off and pulling pranks, and swimming in lakes were often the good things Davis thought of when it came to the Digital World. But usually, the good times led to the bad times.

'Sometimes I wish I could go back there…and other times I wish I couldn't,' the burgundy-haired boy thought as he dug into a bowl of cereal. As he started eating, a door in the apartment opened up and out walked Davis's 15-year old sister Jun, still wearing her pajamas. It was still early morning so Jun was surprised when she walked out of her bedroom and saw Davis sitting down at the family table already eating breakfast at 6:30 in the morning.

"Up already Davis? That's definitely not like you," Jun chuckled, not noticing the dark look on Davis's face.

"I had another bad dream," Davis replied, causing Jun's smile to drop down into a sad frown.

"Another one? That has to be the fifth one this month!"

"Don't remind me," Davis grumbled, remembering the last few times he woke up in the middle of the night because of his bad dreams. Jun, who knew about the Digital World and the Digimon, often gave Davis comfort and helped him ease back to sleep. "They only used to happen rarely, but they've been more common now…and I…I've had this bad feeling inside of me…like it won't be long before I have to go back to the Digital World…" Davis shuddered slightly, dreading the day it would happen.

(Play Digimon: Kanashimi 2)

"Oh, Davis…" Jun whispered, going over to Davis and offering him a hug, which the burgundy-haired boy accepted. "It'll be okay. I know it will be."

"I hope so…" Davis muttered.

"Remember what I've told you before Davis…when you feel like this, don't think of the bad things that happened to you in the Digital World. Remember the good times you had with Veemon, with Ken and Ryo. Remember your friends. If you do that, then you'll be able to get through it." Davis smiled big and nodded, the good memories coming back to him. Jun had often been a major source of comfort for Davis in the last three years, and he felt grateful for it.

"Thanks sis," Davis said, giving a quick kiss to Jun on the forehead before taking care of his cereal bowl and heading over to the apartment door, putting on his orange boots and slinging on his backpack. "I've got to go now. Some of the guys are playing a quick soccer game before school starts today…plus I hope I can see Kari!"

"Hey, she may be in your class again this year," Jun assured him. "Have a good day!"

"I will!" Davis closed the door and began running for the school. He still felt down, but a good game of soccer, as well as being with his best friend, would definitely raise his spirits slightly.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sunshine Smile)

A few apartment buildings away from where Davis and Jun lived, Hikari 'Kari' Kamiya's morning was going better than Davis's was. Having slept peacefully, Kari woke up refreshed and ready for the first day of a new school year.

Changing out of her pajamas and into her pink and white sleeveless shirt, yellow shorts, white socks and long pink gloves with the fingers cut off, Kari thought about how excited she was for the new school year. She would be starting seventh grade. One of things she would now be able to do was have full access to the school's computer lab, which would help her greatly with assignments.

As she grabbed her digital camera and put it around her neck, Kari also thought about the photography club she would continue being in. Originally taking the club in fifth grade at the insistence of her brother so she wouldn't think so much of Gatomon and the Digital World, Kari came to enjoy the club and found it a good time. Also, cheerleading tryouts would begin in a week, and Kari was now the right age to try out.

The last thing she was most excited for this year was seeing more of her best friend, Davis Motomiya. The two had been best friends ever since they were six years old, and they spent much time together, and they also had the same classes in school. The brown-haired girl knew for sure that she would be having the same classes again as well.

Seeing more of Davis would be good for Kari, especially given how Davis had been the last few weeks. He had been acting weird. While Davis was still his cheerful and energetic self, the Davis she knew well, Kari noticed Davis wasn't as cheerful as he used to be, and his eyes had dark shadows underneath, which was a clear sign of lack of sleep. Whenever Kari asked him what was wrong whenever the two met, Davis said he had been having nightmares that kept him up most nights. However, what these nightmares were was a complete mystery to Kari, as Davis was being very quiet about it. Kari had tried her best to comfort Davis but was having little to no success as she was being kept in the dark about the nightmares. Kari even asked Davis's older sister Jun about these nightmares, but Jun was keeping quiet as well.

'Whatever these nightmares Davis has been having, they must be really bad if even Jun won't share them,' Kari thought worriedly as she looked over to two pictures that meant a lot to her on her dresser. One was the group picture Kari and Tai took with the rest of their Digidestined friends after they defeated Apocalymon and before they returned home. The other picture was one of Kari and Davis when they were nine. Kari and Davis were in the park and had big smiles on their faces. Davis had his arm on Kari's shoulders and Kari had wrapped her arms around Davis in a hug. It reminded Kari of old days before Davis's nightmares.

Sighing and deciding to put her worries about Davis aside for now to focus on getting ready for school, the child of Light picked up her Digivice and put it in her pocket, carrying it for remembrance of her past adventures, and slung on her backpack, which she had prepared the night before, unlike Tai, who was currently throwing things into his backpack like crazy when Kari stepped out.

"Oh, Tai…" Kari muttered as she chuckled lightly, looking at the mess her brother was. Tai's white shirt was only buttoned up halfway and he only had on one sleeve of his school blazer. His pant were on, but he only had on one sock.

"Kari, there you are!" Tai said, noticing his sister's presence. "Have you seen my goggles? One minute I put them on the kitchen chair, the next they're gone!" Kari resisted the urge to roll her eyes, as she knew who the culprit was, and Tai knew as well.

"Mom probably hid them again. She thinks you're too old to where those in public now, you know?"

"Aw, come on!" Tai yelled, going into another room in the apartment. Kari giggled at Tai's antics again before leaving the apartment for school.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Happy Friends)

"TK, are you done eating yet? You don't want to be late for school!"

"Yeah, I'm done Mom!"

In another apartment building in Odaiba, a young boy with blond hair that was the same age as Kari and Davis finished eating his oatmeal and put it in the kitchen sink before putting on a white bucket hat and slung on his backpack before checking to see if his Digivice was in his shorts pocket. This boy was Takeru Takaishi, or TK, as his friends and family called him. Stifling a yawn, TK walked over to the door of his new apartment and put on his shoes.

"I'm off to school now, Mom!"

"Have a good day, then!" called his mother Nancy, who was in her bedroom typing on her computer. "I'm really sorry about not coming with you for your first day, but the newspaper really needs this article done by the end of the day, and I'm only just now working on it!"

"It's cool, Mom!" TK called, opening the door. "I'll see you later!" Closing the door, TK stepped out on the hallway of his apartment and got a quick view of the city. Being on the twelfth floor offered a good view of Odaiba. From this view, TK could see the apartment building his older brother Matt lived in with their father. TK smiled, having plans to see his brother later, who was the lead singer and bass player in a band that was slowly getting a following.

"It's definitely good to be home," he said as he headed for the elevators. After spending four years is Seagaya, TK and his mother moved back to Odaiba when Nancy received a transfer from the newspaper company she worked for. TK was elated, as it meant he lived closer to Matt, and he would be able to see his old friends in the Digidestined again, as well as go to the same school with his friend Kari. TK had plans to make new friends in Odaiba, but Kari was the one he was excited to see most. The time they spent with the Digidestined made Kari TK's first true friend, and it had been hard to see her over the last several years. But being back in Odaiba would give him a chance to catch up with her. Taking one last look at the view, TK headed for the elevators, as he knew was mother was right. Being tardy would not be good for the first day of a new school year, and especially at a new school.

* * *

Two floors above TK's apartment, Yolei Inoue sighed impatiently as she stood outside the apartment door of her friend Cody Hida. At age 13, the purple-haired, glasses-wearing girl was the youngest of four siblings in her massive family, who ran a convenience store that was situated at the corner of the bottom of the apartment building they all lived in. As Yolei's family was big, the four sibling often had to fight over food and bathroom. Being the youngest, Yolei often got the short end of the stick, getting the least desirable parts of the meals and less time in the bathroom, which greatly annoyed her. What annoyed her more was the attention, or rather, lack of attention that Yolei usually got from her family. As her family was big, attention from the parents to the children often shifted from one to another, and it was usually difficult to pay attention to anyone in the apartment. As much as Yolei loved her family, and she did love them, it often annoyed her that nobody paid any attention to her, and it got to her easily due to her short temper, leading her to act out irrationally.

This morning, Yolei had woken up too late for breakfast, as she stayed up late last night to prepare for school and worked on her computer, which meant she was able to only get one pancake and a half strip of bacon for breakfast. Yolei snapped and yelled at her siblings for not thinking of her and hogging all the food before stomping out of the apartment and going to Cody's apartment, hoping for a decent meal from Cody's mother. After several minutes of waiting, Cody, a brown-haired 9-year-old boy walked out of the apartment with a box in his hands.

"Hey Cody," Yolei said, hearing her stomach grumbling. "Did you bring the food?"

"Yes, it's right here," Cody said, giving the box to Yolei, who tore the top off and began eating the eggs and white rice in the box like she hadn't eaten all her life.

"Thank you," she said as she wolfed down the food. "All of my siblings took the food before I could get it. They could have waited until I finished getting ready for school!"

"Yolei, I'm sure your siblings had school to get ready for as well, and they may have been running late," Cody said as he pressed a button to open the elevator door. "Besides, I'm sure if you didn't get to bed late, then you wouldn't have this problem."

"Well, they should know I'm a night owl!" Yolei snapped irritably, stepping into the elevator with Cody. "Honestly…I've told them more than once and they never listen!" Cody sighed, knowing by now that Yolei was like this a lot. Unlike Yolei, who was often impatient and loud, Cody often remained quiet and was very patient, as he learned kendo from his grandfather and was more mature and smarter than most boys his age. He first met Yolei when he was seven and a few boys older than him were picking on him. Yolei stepped in and scared off the boys with her temper. The two had been friends since then, with Cody often seeing himself as someone to balance out Yolei's temper. The elevator suddenly stopped after two floors and the door opened up to reveal a boy they had never seen before. Judging from his height, the two could only guess that he was the same age as Yolei, maybe a year younger.

* * *

"Oh, good morning!" TK said, greeting the two kids in the elevator. "I just moved into this building. I take it you both live here?"

"Yes…we do," the girl said, surprised at the boy. "Are you new here?"

"Yolei…he just said he just moved here," the boy said with a sigh before turning to TK. "I sincerely apologize. She can be like this from time to time." The girl, named Yolei, let out a huff as she ate some rice from a box in her hands.

"It's fine," TK said as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. "My name is Takeru Takaishi, but everybody calls me TK. So…who are you?"

"My name is Miyako Inoue, but everybody calls me Yolei," the girl said, looking up from her breakfast. "I'm in eighth grade." Yolei then looked down at the boy. "And this is Iori Hida. He's in fifth grade, ten years old."

"Please…call me Cody if you want to," the boy said, bowing slightly to TK. "Welcome to the building TK."

"Thank you," TK said as he bowed back. This day was definitely starting off well for TK as he had just made two new friends that lived in the same building as him. The rest of the walk to school, the three children told a little about themselves, their families and what they liked to do in their spare time.

"Yolei, I almost forgot to ask," Cody said as the trio walked up to the courtyard of the school. "Can you be able to come to my apartment after school today to fix my computer?"

"No problem!" Yolei said with a smile, looking down at Cody. "Just one question…your mom will make ohagi, right?" Ohagi, which were rice balls covered with sweet beans, sesame or any other topping, was one of Yolei's favorite foods, a food that Cody's mother often made whenever the lavender-haired girl came by for a visit.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Cody said as he walked into the courtyard entrance with Yolei. "I'll send her an e-mail later."

"All right then!" Yolei cheered. TK broke off from the two so he could let them continue talking alone. Looking around the schoolyard, TK's attention was suddenly diverted to a group of boys playing a game of soccer nearby. TK smiled as he watched the game. Whenever he saw a game of soccer, TK usually thought of Kari's brother Tai, who was an absolute soccer fanatic. As he watched the game, TK suddenly saw a pair of goggles on one boy who looked somewhat familiar.

"What the…Tai?" TK squinted his eyes and got a better look at the boy, who sported burgundy hair shorter and less wild than Tai's hair, tanned skin that was a shade darker than Tai's, and his goggles were square, which was a contrast to Tai's round goggles.

'That's right...Tai should be in high school now with Matt,' TK thought as he shook his head. 'The way that kid looked reminded me a little about him…'

"Heads up!" yelled one of the soccer players as the ball soared into the sky. Seeing the ball heading towards him, TK held his arms up and managed to get the ball.

"Sorry about that," the player that yelled out the warning said as he came up to TK with an embarrassed smile. "My reflexes are usually faster than that, but I guess lack of sleep got to me…" TK blinked in surprise, realizing it was the goggle-wearing boy he thought to be Tai. TK looked at the boy for a moment, causing the boy to look at him with a confused look.

"Um…why are you staring at me? And…can we have our ball back?"

"Oh! Sorry!" TK gasped, tossing the ball back to the boy. "I couldn't help but notice that you remind me of somebody."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Adventure Heart 2)

"I do?" the boy asked before one of the soccer players yelled out, "Hey Davis! What's the hold up?"

"Sorry, back at you!" the boy said, kicking the ball back to the players. TK watched the game for a few moments before heading to the principal's office to pick up his schedule.

"Davis, huh?" TK asked before chuckling. "He does remind me of Tai."

* * *

Several minutes passed and Davis was now walking into Classroom 5-A, feeling slightly better. The soccer game he played had lifted his spirits up after the nightmare, but he still felt slightly drowsy. Fortunately, Davis's spirits were lifted up more when he saw a very familiar girl sitting down already, waiting for class to start.

"Hey, Kari!" Kari looked up and smiled brightly when she saw who it was.

"Davis!" the brown-haired girl said as she stood up from her desk and offered a hug to Davis, who accepted it happily. "How are you doing this morning?"

"Better, now that I see we're in the same class again," Davis said, breaking away from the hug and looking down at Kari, who was several inches shorter than Davis. Kari's smile went down when she noticed the tired look on the boy's face.

"Davis, what's wrong? You don't look well."

"I…I had another nightmare," Davis admitted, not wanting Kari to worry much.

"Another one?" Kari asked worriedly. "Davis, that's the fifth time this month. You really should talk with me…"

"Kari, we've been over this," Davis immediately broke off his best friend. "It's nothing for you to worry that much about. I've just been…anxious, you know. A new school year and all." Kari wanted to press the matter further, but the look on Davis's face, as well as the tone in his voice, made it clear he wanted to discuss something else.

"Okay…" the child of Light sighed as she sat back down. "Just don't let the teacher catch you sleeping again." Kari was still concerned, knowing that Davis wasn't being truthful with his nightmares. There was a time when the two best friends told each other everything and kept no secrets. But truthfully, Kari knew she shouldn't chew out Davis for keeping his nightmares a secret when she had a secret that she had been keeping from Davis for four years now: The Digital World. She had wanted, more than anything, to tell Davis about her adventures and her Digimon partner, but Tai and Sora both convinced her to not tell, as Davis would think her to be crazy. It hurt Kari to keep it a secret, and she knew someday, she would have to tell him.

"I won't, I won't," Davis sighed, sitting down next to Kari, noticing she still looked concerned in her eyes. Davis sighed again. He wanted, more than anything, to tell Kari the truth about his nightmares. He wanted to desperately tell her about the Digital World and Veemon, but he felt he shouldn't. He felt he didn't want to worry Kari even more than he already had, and he also knew that Kari had a secret of her own. And that secret was…

"Good morning, everyone!" the teacher's voice rang out suddenly, snapping Davis out of his thoughts. "We have many things to do for this new school year, and one of the first things I would like to do is introduce our newest student." The classroom door slid open and the new student the teacher spoke of stepped into the door. Davis's eyes widened when he realized it was the blond-haired boy he met outside the courtyard during his soccer game.

Kari's eyes widened as well, as she recognized the face and hair of the boy as her friend in the Digidestined, TK Takaishi. She had heard from Matt that TK was moving back to Odaiba soon, but she didn't think it would be in time for the new school year to start.

'Hey, there's that Davis kid,' TK thought as he looked around the classroom before seeing a familiar face that made his own face light up with happiness. 'All right, and Kari's in this class as well!'

"Class, I would like you to meet Takeru Takaishi," the teacher introduced the new student.

"Please…call me TK," the blond-haired boy said with a bow. "I really hope we can be good friends."

'T…K?' Davis thought when he heard the name, thinking it over in his head for a minute. 'Huh…it does make sense. Both his first and last name have T and K in it, so…but where have I heard that name before?'

"Thank you TK," the teacher said, snapping Davis out of his thoughts again. "There's an empty seat next to Kari that you can take."

"Thank you sir," TK said, walking over and sliding into the desk as he looked at Kari with a big smile.

"Hey Kari," the blond boy said to TK with a smile. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," Kari said with a smile.

"Kari…you know this guy?" whispered Davis, knowing Kari was never one to talk to a new student so fast, especially during the middle of a class.

"I do," Kari whispered back. "We go way back." Davis's eyes widened a bit as he suddenly realized where he heard TK's name long ago.

"Oh…I see," Davis muttered before turning his attention back to the front of the class and tried to get back the sleep he lost this morning.

"Is he okay?" TK asked, frowning slightly as the disinterested look on Davis's face.

"I'm not sure," Kari whispered to her old friend. "He's been having trouble sleeping for the past few weeks. He says it's nightmares…but he won't tell me. I'm really worried." TK continued frowning as he looked back Davis and then at Kari's worried face.

'I wonder how Kari knows him...' the child of Hope thought as he turned back to the teacher, who was giving an orientational presentation of what was to come in the school year.

* * *

"Tai! Wherever you are, please help!" That was the yell for help from Agumon, a small orange dinosaur who was one of the Digidestined Digimon. He had been running for a while now from the Digimon Emperor's Dark Rings and slaves, and he was becoming exhausted as his small Rookie level body could handle so much in one day. Having collapsed in the forest after tripping on a nearby rock, Agumon desperately let out a cry for help to his partner, who was in the human world.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Adventurer ~Taichi no Theme~#2)

In the high school side of the Odaiba school, Tai, who had managed to find his goggles before school began, was at his locker thinking about several things. One of them was the upcoming soccer practices, which was excited for, as well as nervous. He was excited for another year of soccer, and he had been made the captain of his team. This made him nervous, but not so much, about this. If Tai could lead a bunch of kids, one of them his little sister, into saving two worlds from monsters in another world, then surely, he could lead a bunch of teenage boys into winning a few games of soccer.

'A few good practices should be able to get them into shape,' Tai thought with a grin as he also thought about his childhood friend Sora, who had become the captain of the girls' soccer team of their school. As the girls' practice would coincide with the boys' practice, it would give Tai and Sora more time to see each other outside of school. Between soccer and Sora helping her mother in the flower shop whenever she could, the two friends often had little to no free time anymore.

The bearer of courage then swallowed nervously as he closed his locker door. For some reason he had been feeling nervous over the last few months whenever he thought about Sora. He knew, and saw, that Sora had grown to become quite beautiful over the course of four years, but he wasn't sure why for some reason. Sora had been his best friend since childhood, they were even six when they first met, the same age Kari and Davis were when they started their friendship. It wasn't like he was in love with her…was he?

"Hey Tai!"

'Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear,' Tai thought with an amused smirk as he turned around at the familiar voice to see the red-haired Sora Takenouchi run up to him, a bright smile on her face.

"H…hey, Sora!" Tai said, suddenly feeling nervous again as he took in Sora's features. Though the clothes she wore was the green school outfit the girls were required to wear, Tai noticed how well they looked on Sora…

"Tai? Are you okay?" Sora asked, her smile turning into a confused expression. "Your face is red."

"Oh!" Tai gasped, looking into a window to see his face was a dark red blush. "I was just…uh…you surprised me, that's all!"

"Oh…I see," Sora said with a nod, but she had a feeling that it was something else that caused Tai to blush deeply. Perhaps it was because of something else, and Sora had a feeling what it was. She had known Tai for nearly ten years and they had built a special bond of friendship and trust. Though this experience was new for her, the red-haired girl felt like her bond with Tai was something she wanted to have for the rest of life. She wasn't sure why, but maybe it had something to do with her Crest, which was Love. "So…what were you thinking?"

"Oh…well, I was thinking about the new soccer season," Tai said, getting a nod from Sora. The red-haired girl was excited for the new year, as this would be her first year as captain of the girls' team.

"Yeah, I was thinking about the new year as well," Sora said with a confident smile. "Just wait. Those girls have no idea what's in store for them with me as their captain!"

"I have no doubts about that," Tai laughed as he began walking down the hallway with Sora.

"So how's Kari doing?" the child of Love asked, thinking about the young girl who had grown to become like a sister to Kari.

"She's doing good," Tai said, smiling slightly before dropping down into a frown. "She's still trying to get Davis to open up to her."

"What? He's still having nightmares?" Sora asked worriedly. She had known Davis for six years now and often gave him pointers on soccer when she was around with him and Tai wasn't. She had grown to love the burgundy-haired boy like he was her own brother, so when she heard about his nightmares from Kari, it caused her a great deal of worry.

"Yeah, and he still won't say what the cause of them are," Tai said sadly. "Usually, that would just be being stubborn, but…"

"What's keeping him from not telling us?" asked Sora. "Doesn't he trust us?"

"I'm sure he does Sora," Tai reassured him, "but…" a beeping noise suddenly caught the two Digidestined's attention. Realizing the beeping was coming from his pants pocket, Tai reached in and pulled out the device causing the beeping, which was his Digivice.

"What the…my Digivice activated!" gasped the brown-haired boy. Sora looked down at the Digivice in surprise, seeing the screen flash red.

"What…what does that mean?" the red-haired girl asked. Tai looked at the Digivice with worry for a second before answering.

"I think it means Agumon is in trouble. Come on!" The two friends sprinted down the hallway before coming into the school's computer lab. Sora looked down at her own Digivice with slight worry. If Agumon was in trouble in the Digital World, then was Biyomon in danger as well? Why didn't her Digivice go off like Tai's? And more importantly…how would they be able to enter the Digital World? Sora knew that Izzy, who was the brains of the Digidestined, had been working on a Digital Gate that would allow travel to the Digital World ever since the Diaboromon incident three years ago. While Izzy had managed to construct a gate successfully, opening it was another challenge. As the gate was still a prototype, opening it was a bit of a risk.

"Tai…are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked as Tai started up a computer and began typing on it furiously, bringing up a Digital Gate. "You know what Izzy said about the Digital Gate!"

"I know Sora, but we don't have time to worry about what may happen," Tai said as he raised up his Digivice and aimed it at the screen. "Agumon needs me…and I'm sure Biyomon needs you as well." Sora looked up hesitantly. While it was risky to open up the Digital Gate without giving it a proper test run, like Izzy wanted to, she was worried about Biyomon and wanted to see her again.

"All right. Let's do this!" The child of Love raised her Digivice as well and aimed it at the screen. After long, several tense moments, the computer screen flashed a white light, and both Digidestined were sucked into the computer, finding themselves on the way to the Digital World.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"Fly faster! Snimon is right on our tail!" In the Digital World, Tentomon, a red ladybug, Biyomon, a pink bird, and Patamon, an orange and cream colored hamster-like Digimon with bat wings, flew as fast as they could, a green praying mantis Digimon right on their tails. The Snimon had a Dark Ring on his waist, a sign of his slavery to the Emperor.

"TWIN SICKLES!" Snimon shouted as he released purple blades of energy from the blades on his hands. The energy blades flew down and knocked Biyomon and Tentomon out of the sky. Patmon yelled in fear as he quickly hid in a tree, looking down to see Snimon land and look around for his friends.

"Biyomon…Tentomon…" Patamon whimpered as he flew away from his hiding place as quietly as he could without alerting Snimon. As much as he wanted to help his friends, he couldn't do it without being captured. He knew if TK was here, he would have a bit of a chance, but with the Emperor preventing Digivolution, he could only wonder how long he would last, even with TK.

"Patamon!" whispered a nearby voice. The winged Digimon stopped when he heard the familiar voice and looked down to see Agumon hiding in a nearby bush.

"Agumon, thank goodness!" Patamon gasped, flying down into the bush. "Biyomon and Tentomon…"

"I know," Agumon said sadly. "We can only hope that they haven't been captured."

"We've been lucky so far, haven't we?" Patamon asked with a small smile. Agumon nodded, returned the smile, and peeked out the bush. Seeing the coast was clear for now, the two Digimon stepped out and began running off again. But their running was stopped suddenly when Agumon and Patamon, the latter riding on Agumon's head like he would do on TK's head, collided with something gray and fell down on the ground. Whatever they collided into also fell down with a loud "Oof!"

"Ow…what…" Agumon started to say as he stood back up, only to stop when he noticed the person he ran into had a familiar mess of brown hair and goggles on his head. Agumon gasped, knowing only one human that had that hair and goggles. He seemed much taller than the last time they met, but there was no doubt about him. It was him.

"TAI!" the little dinosaur yelled excitedly, leaping into his partner's arms and knocking him down again. "Tai, you're back! I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Hey, easy Agumon!" Tai said with a laugh. "I'm glad to see you too, but could you let me get up before you hug me?"

"Oops, sorry," Agumon said sheepishly, moving off the brown-haired boy. The minute Tai stood up, Agumon was right on him again with a hug, a hug that the child of Courage was able to return.

"Tai, you look bigger," Agumon said as he jumped out of Tai's arms. "Did you grow?"

"Maybe, but are you sure you didn't shrink?" Tai joked as a female voice rang out, "Tai, where did you run off to now?" Agumon and Patamon gasped, recognizing the voice instantly. A female human ran into their line of sight. Though she looked taller than Tai and didn't have a silly-looking hat on her head, there was no mistaken the red hair and kind-looking face.

"SORA!" Agumon and Patamon yelled happily, the latter flying into the child of Love's arms.

"Agumon, Patamon!" Sora said happily, accepting the winged Digimon into her arms. "It's so good to see you again! Where's Biyomon?" Patamon and Agumon's smiles suddenly dropped down, which caused Sora and Tai to quickly become worried at the sudden change in attitude.

"I think we should get to somewhere safe before we talk," said Agumon. "There's a cave not far from here that we can hide out in. Let's go before we're seen and attacked."

"What are you so worried about?" Tai asked he and Sora began following Agumon and Patamon. "Now that I'm here, you can Digivolve and take care of anything that attacks us, right?"

"Well…that's the thing Tai," Agumon said sadly. "I can't Digivolve! And even if Biyomon and TK were with us, then Patamon and Biyomon wouldn't be able to Digivolve either!"

"In fact, none of us can Digivolve!" Patamon moaned sadly, flying back into Sora's arms.

"You can't Digivolve?" asked a puzzled Tai. "Why?" Unknown to them, their conversation was being overheard.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

In the control room of his base, the Digimon Emperor chuckled evilly as he listened in to the conversation, thanks to a Dark Ring flying above the forest.

"It's utterly useless," the Emperor said with an evil smirk. "That area is under my control, which means your chances of Digivolving are zero." The Emperor chuckled again as he watched the two Digidestined run off to avoid his slaves. He knew the Digidestined would return eventually, but their return was futile without being able to Digivolve. Looking down at his black Digivice, which was shaped differently than the ones the original eight had, the Emperor saw another square on the screen turn black. Only a few white squares remained on the map his Digivice showed.

"Excellent," the Emperor chuckled as a small shadow looked on in the background, wondering what his master…no, his partner…would do next.

* * *

"We're going to need some help," Tai said once he entered the cave with Sora, Agumon and Patamon. Pulling out a D-Terminal, a small handheld computer that each of the Digidestined had to keep in contact with each other, Tai quickly typed in a message and hit the send button.

"Did you send it to everybody?" asked Sora.

"There wasn't time to punch in everybody's email addresses," Tai answered with a shake of his head. "We're short on time, so I sent it to Izzy's address at the local schools. Knowing Izzy, he's probably on a computer right now. He'll get the message and spread the word."

"Yeah, that's our Izzy," Sora said with a light chuckle.

* * *

Back in the computer lab, Yolei was sitting down in front of a computer, performing maintenance on it. Yolei was a member of the computer club, and it was her turn this week to perform maintenance runs on all computers, making sure the hard drives were running properly and the networks were connected. The lavender-haired girl didn't complain, as it gave her something to do, and it was something that managed to get people to pay attention to her, as she knew many things about computers that most kids her age didn't know.

"Okay…this computer looks good," she muttered to herself. "Three more computers to look at, and then it's off to Cody's for me!" Before she could shut off the computer, a dinging noise sounded on the computer, and an envelope icon appeared on screen, indicating an email for someone. Looking at the name of the receiver, Yolei recognized it immediately.

"Oh! An e-mail for Izzy?" Koshiro Izumi, or Izzy as he was often called, was the former president of the computer club, and was even Yolei's tutor in computers. "I wonder why the e-mail came on this computer. Izzy's in high school now…" Clicking the e-mail open, Yolei read the message that appeared.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"'Come to the Digital World right away. The Digimon need our help. Tai Kamiya.' Tai Kamiya, the soccer star?" Yolei hummed in thought before realizing something. "Hmm…Tai has a sister in the seventh grade named Kari…maybe I should show her this e-mail." Hitting the print button, Yolei grabbed the email from the printer and left the computer lab to find Kari Kamiya.

* * *

Davis sighed as he pulled out some books from his backpack, feeling dead tired. He had nearly fallen asleep several times throughout the day. Fortunately, Kari was able to wake him up before he was caught by the teacher. Davis was lucky to have not received a detention.

'Damn nightmares…' Davis thought, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Digivice, staring at it. Davis remembered when he first got it. It had been small, shaped like a square and could fit easily in his hand. After Veemon Digivolved to the Mega level for the first time ever his Digivice changed. It was now oval-shaped with a golden body and blue grips. The antenna remained in place on the right side of the Digivice, and a big white button was situated under the screen and the two buttons next to the screen. To this day, he still carried it with him as while it would remind him of the bad memories, it would also remind him of the good ones.

"So have you finished unpacking?" Davis quickly put the Digivice back into his pocket and closed his locker when he heard Kari's voice from behind. Turning around, Davis saw Kari walk up to him while talking with the new kid, TK.

"Well…almost," TK said with a small smile. "My mom's been working nonstop on a newspaper article that's due tomorrow."

"Well, that's good," Kari said before turning her attention to her best friend. "Hey, Davis!" Both Kari and TK smiled friendly at Davis and he did his best to smile back, but it was a strained smile.

"So you're Davis, right?" asked TK. Davis simply nodded and turned to walk away, but was stopped by Kari.

"Davis, don't leave yet! I wanted to introduce you two properly!" Davis sighed, knowing he couldn't refuse a request from Kari, and turned around with another strained smile. Judging from Kari's stifled giggle and TK's amused grin, his smile wasn't that convincing.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Bokutachi, Digimon!)

"Davis, this is Takeru Takaishi, but like he said before, he prefers TK. Tai met TK and TK's brother Matt at summer camp four years ago, and Tai introduced TK to me shortly after camp. We've been in contact ever since. TK, this is Daisuke Motomiya, but he prefers Davis. He's my oldest and best friend."

"Your oldest and best friend, you say?" TK asked, perking up slightly. "How long have you two known each other?"

Davis did his best to suppress a smirk as he realized what TK meant by that question. It seemed someone had eyes on Kari, who was oblivious to the hidden meaning as she answered.

"We've known each other since we were six. Davis was a part of the junior soccer team Tai was on when we first met. He impressed Tai with his skills so much, he became Tai's protégé."

"Wow…you must be really good to be Tai's protégé," TK said with an impressed look on his face. "The only ones Tai really praises when it comes to soccer are Sora…and himself."

"Believe me, Davis usually follows Tai in that regard," Kari said with a laugh, causing Davis to sweatdrop slightly.

"Must you embarrass me so, Kari?"

"Hey, we're best friends!" Kari laughed, wrapping an arm around Davis's shoulders. "Besides, I remember that one time…"

"Hey, I told you! We don't talk about that!" Davis said, pushing Kari away playfully while smiling a real smile. It made him happy, knowing the ways Kari had to lift his spirits up when he was down. Before any of the three could speak again, another female voice called out, "Hey!" Looking around, the three were greeted with the sight of a lavender-haired girl with glasses and a piece of paper in her hand.

"Hey Yolei!" TK called to the girl.

"Hey TK," Yolei said quickly as she came up to the three children and gave a quick glance to Davis. "Hey Davis."

"Yeah, hey Yolei," Davis sighed, raising his arm in greeting.

"You know each other?" TK asked in mild surprise.

"My sister Jun is best friends with her sister Chizuru," Davis explained as Yolei walked up to Kari. Jun had been friends with Chizuru Inoue for many years, having met when they were eight. Davis had only met Yolei a handful of times, and from what he knew of her, she was friendly, but had a short temper and constantly sought attention.

"Excuse me, you're Kari Kamiya, right?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" replied Kari. As Yolei and Kari talked, Davis suddenly felt uneasy again, and it definitely wasn't from the lack of sleep. Something was about to happen, and Davis felt it would not be good.

"Well, your brother Tai sent this e-mail to Izzy Izumi. I don't know where Izzy is right now, so I thought I'd give it to you." Yolei unfolded the paper and showed it to Davis, Kari and TK. Reading the message, TK and Kari both gasped in surprise, and Davis felt his blood turn cold when he saw two words on the message: Digital World.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"My brother needs us!" Kari said to TK, who nodded and began running for the computer lab.

"Wait, what's going on?" Yolei asked confused.

"Nothing good, Yolei. Trust me," Davis said in a low voice before sprinting after the two. Intrigued about the reactions they go from the message, Yolei followed close by.

'Damn it…not again!' Davis cursed in his mind. He was just thinking earlier that someday he would have to be called back, but he didn't think it would be so soon, and especially today. As the four kids ran down the hall, they were stopped in their tracks when a 14-year old boy with short red hair walked up the stairs.

"Oh! Izzy!" Yolei gasped, recognizing the boy immediately. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Good to see you again Yolei," Izzy said to his computer club member. "I was wondering if I could use the computer room?"

"Of course!" Yolei said happily. "Oh, by the way. Some kid named Tai Kamiya sent you an email. I gave it to his sister."

"Tai?" Izzy asked as he took the paper from Kari. Looking down at the paper, Izzy's eyes widened when he saw what was written.

"I see…so you got the email too…" the red-haired boy said to Kari and TK, who both nodded.

'Izzy Izumi…that's right, he's one of them as well,' Davis thought as he walked into the computer room. Izzy sat down at a computer and began typing on it, bringing up something that Davis noticed was called a Digital Gate.

"I was going to reply to the email, but the batteries on my D-Terminal died," spoke Izzy. "From what I saw in the message, it looked like something bad is happening in the Digital World."

"If Tai managed to get into the Digital World, then that must mean the Digital Gate is operational, right?" asked TK, who looked worried about his partner Patamon.

"I think so," Izzy said as he typed frantically. "I just need to see where Tai's signal is coming from…"

"Please hurry Izzy," Kari pleaded. "I'm worried about Tai and Gatomon…"

'Gatomon…Kari's partner…' Davis thought to himself as he noticed the distressed looks on Kari, TK and Izzy's faces, while ignoring the confused look on Yolei's face. He knew from the looks on their faces that three Digidestineds' partner Digimon were still alive…just like Veemon probably was now.

'He's been reborn by now…I'm sure of it!' the child of Miracles thought as the memory of Veemon's death came back to him. It was a bad day for him. Not only did Veemon die, but Ryo and Justimon had vanished delivering the final blow to Millenniummon, getting sucked into a dimensional portal. Since that day, Davis had been dreading going back to the Digital World as he didn't want to go through the pain again. And it would hurt more with Kari and Tai being involved this time, as well as…

"Sora, I got a response from Izzy!" Tai said with a big smile. "He has Kari and TK with him!"

"All right!" Sora said happily. "That should help us out a bit."

"Hey Tai! Sora! Take a look at this!" Agumon's voice rang out, catching their attention.

"What is it, Agumon?" Tai asked, heading deeper into the cave with Sora.

"Hey, what's this Digital World anyway?" Yolei asked, getting everybody's attention. "Is it a new theme park, or some kind of video game?" Kari, TK and Izzy were hesitant about answering, as the Digital World as a big secret that not anyone could know about. Izzy looked like he was going to answer, when a response came from the last person they expected to answer Yolei's question.

"The Digital World's not a theme park, and it sure as hell isn't a video game," Davis said. His voice hadn't raised, but it was very loud and clear to get everyone to notice him. "The Digital World is a very real place. It's a universe that's parallel to ours, a digital dimension."

"A digital dimension?" asked a confused Yolei.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Yes," Davis answered. "The Digital World is basically a shadow version of our world, and the two worlds are linked together. If something happens in one world, it could affect the other. Unlike our world, the Digital World is inhabited by Digimon, short of Digital Monster."

"Digital…Monster?" Yolei opened her mouth to ask more about the Digital World, but was cut off when Cody showed up at the doorway of the computer room.

"Yolei, about my computer…"

"Oh! Right! Sorry Cody!" Yolei gasped, remembering the promise she made to Cody. "Tell me more tomorrow!" The lavender-haired girl ran out the computer lab with Cody by her side. Davis turned back to see Kari, TK and Izzy staring at him with complete looks of shock. Kari was the first one to regain her composure.

"Davis…how did you know all that about the Digital World?" she asked carefully, surprised at Davis's detailed explanation to Yolei moments ago. She never broke her word to Tai and Sora, and she knew neither of them would tell Davis about the Digital World, especially in the way Davis just described it.

"Because…I have this," Davis said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small gray and blue device that looked like…

"A Digivice?!" TK asked, seeing the device in hand.

* * *

Tai and Sora followed Agumon and Patamon deeper into the cave, eventually ending up in a rocky room with a high ceiling.

"That's what I wanted you to see," Agumon pointed to the center of the room. There, sitting on a rock, was a small red egg with orange and yellow flame designs, and a sharp silver blade sticking out on top. What caught Tai and Sora's attention was the design of a bright orange sun underneath the blade. A sun that they recognized instantly.

"That's the Crest of Courage!" Sora gasped.

"And it looks like it's been there for a long time," said Patamon, noting a layer of dust on it.

"Let's have a closer look at this thing, shall we?" Tai asked, bending down in front of the object and grabbing it with both hands while minding the sharp blade. However, the moment Tai touched the object, it glowed a bright orange. The light forced Tai and Sora to back away as the light flashed brightly before dying down and releasing two small fireballs.

"What…what happened?" asked Agumon.

"Tai, what did you do?" Sora asked anxiously.

(Play Digimon: Break Up! Instrumental)

"I…I don't know!" Tai said as the group of four watched the fireballs float for a moment before flying out of a hole in the ceiling.

"Where do you think they're going?" Agumon asked curiously.

"I don't know," Tai said as he looked back at the object, "but I just hope it means something good for us!"

* * *

"It is a Digivice," Kari said as she inspected the device Davis had just shown. "It looks like to be a different model."

"Prodigious!" Izzy said as he inspected the device. "I didn't know there was another model of Digivice. This is a great opportunity to…"

"Whatever opportunity it is, Izzy, it can wait once we save Tai," TK interrupted, raising his Digivice to enter the Digital Gate. Before TK could open the gate, the screen flashed again and two beams of light, one red and one yellow flew out of the screen and into the hallway.

"What…was that?" asked a surprised Kari.

'Oh no…don't tell me those were…' Davis thought before shaking his head. "I think I have an idea what they were…and I have a feeling who those lights went to. Izzy, you're the smartest of us here. You explain everything to them."

"Them?" asked a confused Izzy. "Them who?" Davis said nothing as he walked over to the screen and raised up his Digivice, activating the Digital Gate.

"Let's go," the burgundy-haired boy said sharply in a tone that demanded no arguments. Tai and Kari followed suit and the three Digidestined were sucked into the computer, leaving Izzy alone with a dumbfounded expression as he was still trying to figure out what Davis meant.

"IZZY!" The computer genius yelled in surprise as he saw Yolei run up to him, her glasses dangling on one ear.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"What's going on here?! This…" Yolei raised up her hand to show something to Izzy, "just smacked me in the face!" Izzy gasped as he noticed the device in Yolei's hand was a Digivice much like Davis's, but was white with red grips. Now Izzy realized what Davis meant before.

"It's a long story Yolei, and it has to do with what Davis told you moments before. But before I tell you…did you see a yellow light?"

"Yeah, it flew into Cody's hands," said Yolei. "His is like mine, but the grips are yellow." Izzy took a deep breath before releasing.

"All right…let's wait until Cody gets here…"

* * *

Davis opened his eyes and looked around, noticing that he was in a forest. The Digital World looked very much like it did the last time he was here, full of tropical and unusual plants and trees that were not common on Earth. As much as he enjoyed the peace of the forest, he was reminded very quickly that things could go down pretty fast, especially without his partner Digimon.

"Wow!" TK said happily as he looked around. "I can't believe we're actually back in the Digital World!" The child of Hope was elated to be back in a place he considered like a second home as he had spent months before in it.

"Let's go," Kari said as she held out her beeping Digivice. "According to the radar, Tai's this way…and he's not alone."

"What?" Davis asked, pulling out his Digivice and checking the radar function, realizing that there were two dots a distance away from where he was with Kari and TK. One signal was obviously Tai's, but the second…who could it be? Davis knew there were eight children originally chosen as Digidestined…Tai, Kari, Izzy and TK were four of those kids, and the other four were named Matt, Joe, Mimi, and…

"…Sora," Davis whispered in shock, breaking into a fast walk with TK and Kari behind him.

"Did he just say Sora?" whispered TK.

"I think so," Kari answered. "But how would he know about Sora being a Digidestined?"

"I don't know," TK muttered as he looked at Davis's back with narrowed eyes. "And do we even know if it's Sora's Digivice we're detecting with Tai's?"

"It could be," said Kari. "We'll have to see."

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Ankoku no Hohoemi)

Unknown to the three Digidestined, a Dark Ring hovered above, keeping an eye on them for the Emperor. In his monitor room, the Emperor grinned evilly at the three newest people to enter the Digital World.

"Breaking into my garden without permission…some people just have no…manners…" the Emperor's grin suddenly vanished when he noticed one of the three people had lightly tanned skin and wore square goggles on his head…very familiar goggles.

"What…zoom in on the one with the googles!" The camera obeyed the order and soon, the boy's face filled the entire screen.

"No…it's…it's him!" The Digimon Emperor's face was a mixture of shock, anger and fear. He should have known he would be here, but he foolishly assumed he wouldn't. Now that he was here, this would make things worse. The Emperor sat down in his chair and began looking for any Digimon to take care of them. Finally, he found one that was near them.

"Attack, Monochromon!"

"What's going on?" the shadowed figure asked as he crawled into the light, revealing himself to be a green caterpillar Digimon. The caterpillar looked up at the screens with curiosity, recognizing the boy on the screen almost immediately.

"Oh, is that Davis? He's here in the Digital World?"

"Yes…he is…" growled the Emperor.

"Oh, how nice! It's a reunion!" the caterpillar said happily. The Emperor snarled as he stood up from his seat and stomped out of the room.

"It is NOT a reunion!" he snapped as he looked back the screen with anger. This was definitely not a good development on his part.

* * *

"So…Davis," TK said slowly, trying to get a conversation going with the burgundy-haired boy. "How long have you had that Digivice?"

"Not important right now," Davis snapped irritably. Kari frowned, wondering about the sudden change in Davis's attitude. One moment, he was dead tired from nightmares and a boring school day. The next moment, he reveals he's a Digidestined and is suddenly wide awake and cautious. This was not like Davis at all.

"Okay…" TK said as he continued trying to talk to Davis. "Have you been here to the Digital World before?"

"Once," Davis said shortly.

"I heard you say Sora's name earlier. Did you know she's a Digidestined like us? And how do you know Sora?" Davis stopped short and turned around, glaring angrily at TK.

"Listen TK, I am not in the mood for 20 Questions. I just want to find Tai and Sora, and then get out of here before we are attacked. We have no idea where our Digimon partners are, which leaves us vulnerable to a Digimon attack." TK was taken aback at Davis's outburst. It was tense until Kari broke it up.

"Davis, I'm sure TK wasn't trying to get on your nerves. I'm curious as well about your history being a Digidestined." Davis sighed heavily as he felt Kari's hand on her shoulder.

"You're right Kari. I'm sorry, I'm just worried that something may happen…"

"VOLCANIC STRIKE!" a guttural voice echoed throughout the clearing, as a massive fireball flew above the trees and began falling towards the three children.

"LIKE THAT! GET DOWN!" Davis yelled, grabbing Kari and pulling her to the ground. TK followed suit as he jumped on the ground. The fireball collided with the ground and separated TK from Kari and Davis.

"That roar…" Davis groaned as he stood back up and helped Kari. "There's only one Digimon I know with that attack…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

Another roar echoed as a Monochromon, a dinosaur Digimon with a black shell and horn burst from the forest clearing, a Dark Ring wrapped around his waist. The Monochromon roared loudly as he heard groaning. Looking around, Monochromon noticed a blond-haired boy with a white hat pick himself up off the ground. Growling, Monochromon began stomping for TK, who began backing away nervously from the dinosaur Digimon. TK knew he was caught. With no Patamon, it was practically over unless some miracle happened.

"T…K…" Kari coughed as she and Davis watched the Monochromon advance towards the child of Hope.

"Damn it…Veemon, where are you?" Davis whispered angrily, seeing the bad development. Davis knew if he diverted Monochromon's attention to himself, it would put Kari in harm's way as well. And he couldn't run away with Kari and leave TK to a grisly fate. Suddenly, an idea came to him. If he could lure Monochromon into following him, then a chance of escape was likely. But he needed help.

"Kari, I have an idea," he said to the child of Light. "I'll draw his attention from TK. When I do, run like hell if you value your life." Not waiting for a reply, as he knew Kari would run regardless of how she felt for the plan, since she valued her life, Davis grabbed a rock and threw it at the Monochromon, who stopped advancing for TK when he felt something hard hit the back of his head.

"Hey, you Jurassic reject! Fresh meat, over here!" Growling at the insult, Monochromon roared loudly and changed his sights to the two humans, charging forward like a mad rhino.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"RUN!" Kari immediately ran the moment Davis yelled, breaking into a sprint. It was difficult as she never played sports like Davis and Tai, so it wasn't long before she felt her heart beating like crazy in her ribcage. Davis could hear TK call after them, but didn't hear what he said. He didn't like the idea of splitting the group up like this, but it was better than being burned to death.

"Davis…I'm…not sure…how…long…I can…keep…running!" Kari gasped between breaths. Davis grit his teeth, knowing Kari's lack of exercise.

"Don't worry, we just need to get this guy far away from the clearing so TK can get to safety! On my signal, we'll jump into the forest! Monochromon's too big to search for us in there." Still breathing heavily, Kari nodded, hoping the plan would work.

"NOW!" Davis grabbed Kari's hand and leapt into the vegetation. As Davis said, Monochromon continued running forward, his size making it impossible for him to make sharp turns. The few moments Davis and Kari bought for themselves allowed them to run deep into the forest from the dinosaur's view. Davis quickly pulled Kari behind a tree and covered her mouth with his hand to prevent her heavy breathing from catching them.

For the next few seconds, the only sound that was heard was the sound of Monochromon's footsteps. Taking a glance, Davis saw the giant dinosaur Digimon stomping away from them.

"Finally…" Davis sighed in relief as he released Kari, who fell to the ground and began coughing from the lack of air.

"Are you okay?" Davis asked, kneeling down next to Kari and putting a hand on her shoulder. Kari nodded as she breathed deeply and sat back on a tree trunk.

"I'm good…I'm good…" Kari breathed. Davis sighed in relief again, happy that they managed to survive.

* * *

"KARI! DAVIS!" TK yelled as he looked through the forest anxiously. He was worried about the two of them, but especially for Kari. What was Davis thinking, putting Kari in danger like that? He was going to give Davis a piece of mind when he saw him again…or if he saw him again…

'No! Don't think like that!' he thought as he smacked himself. 'Kari'll be okay…'

"TK!" the blond-haired boy gasped when he heard an extremely familiar voice. Turning around, TK's spirits went up greatly when he saw his partner Digimon flying towards him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)

"Patamon!" TK said happily, running forward and grabbing Patamon into a hug. "Am I glad to see you again!"

"Same here!" Patamon said happily.

"TK!" The child of Hope looked up to see Tai running towards him with Agumon in tow, and right behind him was a familiar girl.

"Sora!" gasped TK. "So it _was_ your Digivice I detected!" So Davis had been right in suspecting that Sora's was the second signal.

"TK, is it just you here?" Tai asked puzzled.

"No, Kari's here with me, and Davis as well," TK said.

"Wait…did you say Davis?" Sora asked with a surprised look that matched Tai's. "As in, Davis Motomiya?"

"Yes…" TK said, realizing he needed to explain a few things. "You see…"

* * *

"Okay, I'm picking up TK's signal a few miles from here," Kari said, checking her Digivice screen again. "And from the looks of it, I think he just met up with Tai and Sora."

"Then let's move quickly!" Davis said, taking the lead. Kari looked back at Davis's retreating form with worry and curiosity. Davis said he had been to the Digital World once before, he knew what Digimon were, and he had been acting on edge ever since he came here. There was also the fact that he automatically assumed Sora was a Digidestined when she never told him about who the Digidestined were. Even though Davis said questions could come later, Kari couldn't wait much longer.

"Davis…wait. I need to know something."

"Kari, can it wait?" Davis asked as he stopped short. "We don't know if or when Monochromon will return."

"No…no, it can't," said Kari. "I'm sorry Davis, but it's been eating at me ever since we first got here. Did you come here to the Digital World before? How long ago was it? And how did you know that Sora was a Digidestined when the only ones you found out were Digidestined were myself, TK, Izzy and Tai?" Kari looked at Davis with pleading eyes. The burgundy-haired boy opened his mouth to respond, but the look in Kari's eyes stopped him. It was a look he never saw in Kari's eyes before. It was a look of demanding, a look of worry, and a look of determination. Swallowing nervously, Davis looked away from the child of Light, realizing he wouldn't be able to keep going until Kari got the answers she was looking for.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"Yes…I've been here before to the Digital World. During my adventures, I learned about the story of the Digidestined…and that was how I found out about you, Tai and Sora being Digidestined. As for when I came here, it was three years ago, a week after Omnimon battled Diaboromon."

"Diaboromon…" Kari muttered, remembering the Digimon that nearly destroyed Odaiba with a nuclear strike. She had been unavailable to help Tai that day as she was at a birthday party, and she regretted not helping him. "But still…you've known about us and the Digital World for three years and you never told me?" The girl's eyes watered slightly as she felt slightly betrayed over Davis's secret.

"I…things weren't exactly pleasant for me my last few days in the Digital World," Davis said, painful memories coming back to him. "Besides, you never told me about the Digital World." Kari was hurt even more now, as she realized she never told Davis her secret, and it made her look like a hypocrite asking Davis why he never told her, when she never told him.

"Davis, I'm sorry that I never told you about all of this. I really wanted to, but Tai and Sora both forbade me from doing so. And there were times when I was close to telling you, but I wondered if you would believe me or not! Please…please don't hate me…" Kari couldn't help but sob as the tears slid down her face, believing she had just destroyed her friendship with Davis.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

Davis's face, which was stern at first, suddenly broke down upon the sight of Kari crying. This was definitely not the reaction he was expecting…and it wasn't something he liked seeing.

"Come on Kari…you know I don't like it when you cry," he said, walking over and wrapping his arms around his best friend. "I don't hate you…I could never hate you…" Kari's sobs died down to sniffles as she returned the embrace, glad that Davis didn't hate her. "And I don't blame you for not telling me. Tai and Sora told you not to, and you didn't want to betray their trust in any way." The two friends remained in the embrace until something suddenly came to Kari's mind.

"Davis, I need to know something else," Kari pulled away so she could look at Davis in the eyes. "Your nightmares…have they been about…?" Davis's eyes hardened slightly, but he took a deep breath and confessed.

"Yes…they are about the Digital World…I'm sorry I never told you Kari…but like I said before, the last battle in the Digital World didn't end well for me…and I don't like talking about it…"

"You don't have to tell me now," said Kari. "But I think you should tell Tai and the others…not everything, but what you told me."

"I will Kari…" Davis said as he hugged Kari again. "I promise…now come on, let's find TK and…"

SNAP.

Davis suddenly went rigid upon hearing a twig snap nearby, and Kari noticed the hard look on his face.

"Davis, what…"

"Shh!" Davis said, raising a hand to silence Kari as he strained his ears, looking to hear where the snap was heard. Hearing a rustling behind them, Davis and Kari turned around to see a Unimon standing before them. Looking down, Kari immediately noticed something on his neck.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"Davis…that band around his neck…"

"It's just like the one we saw on Monochromon's waist," Davis said, noticing the familiar band. "Something tells me those aren't necklaces that the Digimon have gotten into wearing…"

"HOLY SHOT!" Unimon's mouth opened up and a blue energy ball sailed at the two Digidestined. Kari and Davis dived in opposite directions to avoid the attack, but the ball managed to graze Davis's leg, causing it to go numb.

"AGH…Dammit!" Davis cursed as he collapsed, not feeling his right leg at all.

"Davis!" Kari yelled in panic, seeing her best friend in pain. Unimon neighed angrily as he advanced on Davis, his head down low as his sharp horn gleamed in the sunlight. Davis realized that Unimon planned to gore him with his horn. And with his leg injured, Davis was in no position to escape.

Kari looked on in panic as Unimon prepared to stab her best friend. Seeing a rock nearby, Kari picked it up and took careful aim, throwing it at Unimon's head. Turning his attention to Kari, Unimon roared angrily as he turned his attention to the child of Light.

"Kari, get away!" Davis yelled. Kari backed away from the unicorn Digimon, but was stopped suddenly when she noticed a tree in her way. Looking around, Kari noticed trees blocking her every path. She could not escape. She was trapped.

"Kari…no!" Davis groaned, trying to get up, but his leg was still numb. He had to move…he had to save Kari! He couldn't lose her like he lost Ryo and Veemon!

"HOLY SHOT!" Kari quickly ducked down to dodge the energy ball. Rolling on her side, Kari quickly ran around Unimon, who fired another Holy Shot but failed to hit her, and ended up next to Davis.

"Davis, come on! We have to get out of here!" Kari grabbed Davis by the arm and grunted as she lifted him up. Davis winced as the feeling slowly came back to his leg. Unimon turned around and began advancing for the children again, who were both trapped due to Kari helping Davis up.

'There's nothing we can do now,' Davis thought grimly as Unimon opened his mouth to prepare another Holy Shot. 'Without our Digimon…we're powerless!'

"HOLY…"

"LIGHTNING PAW!" a voice yelled from above. Unimon looked up and was shocked to see a familiar figure in the air. The shadowed figure dropped down and rammed a fist into Unimon's face. Even though Unimon's attacker was small, she was able to punch the unicorn Digimon so hard, he staggered back and nearly fell on his side. The white blur landed in front of Davis and Kari, the latter recognizing her immediately.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Teki o Yattsukero!)

"Ga…Gatomon!" Kari said happily. "It's really you!" The white cat turned around and smiled big at Kari.

"It's me all right Kari, but we'll play catch up later!" Gatomon's smile dropped as she turned her attention back to Unimon, who regained his senses and advanced for Gatomon.

"Oh no. This won't be like last time, pony boy. I'm ready for you now." As Gatomon prepared to fight the Unimon, Davis's eyes widened as he got a good look at the white cat.

'No way…it's her!' the child of Miracles thought as Unimon yelled out, "CORN THRUST!" and charged at Gatomon horn-first. Gatomon leapt over Unimon with nimble movements, landing on a tree branch.

"Oh, and just so you know, I didn't come alone." Gatomon looked over to her right and yelled out, "Now's your chance!"

"All right!" a voice yelled out as a figure as big as Gatomon leaped out of a nearby tree, his features hidden by a cloak, a rope in his hands. The figure ran forward and rammed his head into Unimon, forcing the winged Digimon back several feet. Unimon growled as he opened his mouth, but the cloaked figure grabbed the hem of his cloak and ripped it off, throwing it in the path of Unimon's Holy Shot. The cloak exploded upon hitting the attack, and a cloud of smoke covered the two combatants, their shadows the only thing that could be seen. Davis, Kari, and Gatomon, who landed in front of the two Digidestined in a defensive position, watched as the small Digimon lassoed the rope around Unimon's front legs before running around and tying up all four of Unimon's wings before jumping on his back and tying his wings together. As the small Digimon was on Unimon's back, Davis squinted his eyes to see who the Digimon was, gasping suddenly when he saw the silhouette.

'It…it's him!' Davis thought, a flood of emotions overtaking him completely. Unimon struggled in his ropes before falling on his side, the little Digimon jumping off his back and landing next to him. When the dust cleared, the small Digimon was revealed to be a blue dragon Digimon with pointy ears and a pointy tail, human hands, red eyes that were full of excitement and compassion, a white belly, and a yellow 'V' on his forehead.

"There we go," the small Digimon said as he dusted his hands off and turned to the humans he and Gatomon had just saved. "That should…hold you…" the small Digimon trailed off when he recognized the boy. Spiky burgundy hair…tanned skin…square goggles…it was him! He was finally back!

(Play Digimon Adventure: Ansoku)

"Davis! It's you!" The little Digimon ran forward and jumped into Davis's arms. The burgundy-haired boy stumbled slightly as he dropped to his knees and felt the feeling return to his leg. Davis was in shock for several moments before the emotions that had been flooding him finally took over. He didn't care if Kari was watching; Davis immediately felt tears of joy run down his cheeks as he returned the hug, relieved and happy to be with his reborn partner after so long.

"Veemon…you're really…here…" the boy sobbed happily. This was not a dream, and it was not an illusion. This was real. Veemon was back and he was in his arms. A great deal of pain he had been carrying for three years had been greatly lifted, and the child of Miracles felt better than he ever did.

Over by the duo of Light, Kari smiled at the hug. Whoever this blue Digimon was, it was clear from Davis's reaction that this Digimon was the partner Digimon of her best friend. She was also surprised at Davis openly crying, as she knew Davis was the type who rarely wore his emotions on his sleeve.

From her spot in Kari's arms, Gatomon looked down at the burgundy-haired boy with a curious look. She didn't see it good at first during the fight as protecting Kari was the main priority in her mind, but now that the dust had settled and Unimon was subdued, Gatomon took a better look at Davis and realized there was something…familiar about him, like she had seen him somewhere before during her time in the Human World.

"Davis…is that your Digimon partner?" Kari asked, wanting to be sure. Davis sniffed slightly as he released Veemon and stood back up, rubbing his face with his shirt sleeve.

"Yeah…this is Veemon. Veemon, this Kari. I think I may have told you about her before?"

"Oh, so you're Kari!" the blue dragon Digimon said, looking up at the girl. "Yeah, Davis has told me a lot about you before."

"He has?" asked a surprised Kari.

"Hey, Veemon was by my side throughout my time in the Digital World," Davis said as he smiled lightly. "He's like a brother to me." Veemon chuckled sheepishly before Davis's face became serious again.

"Still, we should get out of here and find Tai, TK and Sora before Unimon breaks free, or Monochromon finds us again. There's no telling how low on energy our Digimon are…"

"We're actually fine," said Gatomon. "Veemon and I were able to eat some food and rest a little in a Hiding Tree…"

"…but it won't do us much good if we fight another Champion level Digimon," Veemon finished. "Gatomon's still exhausted from running constantly and I can't Digivolve."

"What?!" Davis asked with widened eyes. "What do you mean, you can't Digivolve?!"

"I think we should find the others before we explain," Gatomon said, jumping out of Kari's arms. Davis and Kari nodded, grabbing their Digivices to detect the missing members of their party.

* * *

"Davis is a Digidestined?!" Tai and Sora asked, surprise in their voices as TK finished explaining.

"Yeah, he has this strange Digivice that's different from ours," said the child of Hope. "I can't say exactly how long he's been a Digidestined, but judging from the wear on his Digivice, it may have been as long as we have been Digidestined."

"Unbelievable…" Tai breathed, leaning against a tree. He had known Davis for many years, and the fact that he had been a Digidestined just as long as he had was shocking.

"TK, where's Davis? And where's Kari?"

"I…I don't know," TK answered Sora's question worriedly. "Shortly after we came here, a Monochromon attacked us and Davis and Kari made it chase them so it wouldn't cook me."

"WHAT?!" Tai yelled as he heard that Kari was in trouble. "AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER GOING AFTER THEM?!"

"What was I supposed to do?! I didn't have Patamon with me!" TK said, backing away from the angry leader of the Digidestined.

"Tai, breath easy!" Sora said, placing both hands on Tai's shoulders. "If Kari is with Davis, then they'll be fine!"

"You don't know that Sora!" Tai said, a little more calmer than before. "There's no telling if Gatomon's around here, and we don't know if Davis has a Digimon partner!"

"Hey! Tai, Sora!" Davis's voice suddenly rang out across the clearing. The three Digidestined and two Digimon turned around to see Davis and Kari running towards them with Gatomon and a small blue Digimon that nobody recognized.

"Davis! Kari!" Tai said happily, running forward with Sora and enveloping Kari in a hug. The bearers of Love and Courage were happy to see Kari and Davis alive. As the sibling continued their reunion, TK immediately stomped forward and got right up into Davis's face.

"What the hell were you thinking back there?!" the blond-haired boy yelled angrily, causing everybody to be surprised by TK's outburst. "You could have hurt yourself back there, or even worse, you could've hurt Kari!"

Davis's patience with TK had been running thin ever since they first came here to the Digital World, but now TK was on really thin ice. He could understand TK was concerned for Kari's well being, but there was no other option during the confrontation with Monochromon.

"Hey, listen here, pal!" he growled at the hat-wearing boy with gritted teeth. "I didn't like the plan either, but I saw a chance that would get us all out in one piece! The plan wasn't ideal, yes, but I'd rather die executing a half-good plan than waiting for an opportunity that might have never come!"

"Well, that still doesn't excuse the danger you put yourself in, as well as Kari! Honestly, were you even thinking about that?!"

Davis's eyes hardened upon hearing those words, and his hands twitched dangerously. It was one thing for TK to insult him, but for him to insult his friendship with Kari…that was crossing the line.

"Are you accusing me of not looking out for my best friend?!" Davis's accusation caused everyone to shudder slightly, even TK, though he held his ground.

"All I'm saying is that your plan was absolutely reckless, Davis! You shouldn't have…"

"HEY!" Veemon yelled angrily, looking up at TK. "You got a problem with Davis?"

"And just who are you?" TK asked rather rudely, his anger with Davis still present.

"My name is Veemon, and I'm Davis's partner Digimon!" Veemon said, glaring up at TK. "And if you've got a problem with Davis, then you've got a problem with me as well, hat boy!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

All went quiet in the clearing as everyone turned to see Kari, who had yelled very loudly and was glaring at the two boys arguing, evidently disappointed in their behavior.

"If you must know TK, I went along with Davis's plan because I wanted to! I am not some damsel in distress, or some glass ornament that you guys have to protect and be careful with, I'm just as much of a Digidestined as all of you here!"

"She's right!" agreed Sora. "Can we please not fight? That's the last thing we need right now!" TK and Davis both looked down, having been deflated and scared by Kari's piercing glare. Davis couldn't exactly blame TK for his outburst as he had been worried about Kari. If the roles had been reversed between the two boys, Davis would have acted exactly like TK did.

"So what's going on here anyway?" Tai asked Agumon, attempting to get an idea of the chaos happening in the Digital World.

"Let's get back to the cave with the strange object and we'll explain everything," Agumon said, motioning for everyone to follow him.

'Strange object?' Davis thought in confusion as he followed the group into the cave Agumon was talking about. Once everyone was in the cave, the Digimon began explaining everything, with Gatomon talking first.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Shizuka na Fuan)

"It all started a month ago. Everything was peaceful until one day these black towers began popping up everywhere! It turns out they were being placed all over the Digital World by the Digimon Emperor!"

"Digimon Emperor?" asked TK. "What kind of a Digimon is he?"

"He's not a Digimon," Agumon said gravelly. "He's a human child like you!"

"WHAT?!" yelled the five children, surprised at this news.

"Yeah," said Patamon. "He's been slowly taking over the Digital World with these Control Spires. And he has these Dark Rings as well. If a Dark Ring catches on to a Digimon, they become his brainwashed slave."

"I see…" Davis muttered as he thought back to earlier. "So those dark bands on Monochromon and Unimon were brainwashing devices…"

"What's more is the Control Spires radiate an aura of darkness that drains us of our energy and prevents us from Digivolving," Agumon chimed in.

"If we did get into any fights, the best chances we would have of winning would be against Rookie level Digimon," said Veemon.

"Wait, what about the other Digimon?" asked Sora. "What about Biyomon? Gabumon, Gomamon, Tentomon and Palmon?" Sora was worried about the other partner Digimon, especially her own. If the Digimon Emperor was turning any and all Digimon into his slaves…

"We don't know," said Patamon. "A Snimon separated me from Biyomon and Tentomon a while back."

"And Gomamon, Palmon and Gabumon were separated from us," Agumon said, referring to himself and Gatomon.

"I haven't seen any of those Digimon around here," Veemon said as he leaned up against the cave wall.

"And there's more thing," said Gatomon. "He has a Digivice as well…a dark Digivice."

"A dark Digivice?!" asked a surprised TK. "That means…he's a Digidestined! Or rather…anti-Digidestined."

"And it's really strange too," said Patamon. "It looks different from the other Digivices."

"Different?" Kari asked, puzzled slightly until she suddenly remembered. "Davis, show them your Digivice!"

"Oh, right!" Davis gasped, yanking out the blue-ridged device and showing it to everyone.

"That's it!" Gatomon gasped, recognizing the device. "The Emperor's device looks exactly like that, but it's all black!"

"What? But how is that possible?!" Davis asked in a confused tone.

"Davis, do you know something about this?" TK asked suspiciously.

"I…I don't know!" Davis stammered, looking down at his Digivice. "I didn't know there was someone else out there with a Digivice like mine!" This was true as Ryo and Ken's Digivices were both of the original model. To think that someone else out there had a Digivice like his…it worried Davis.

"I can't believe it," Kari said angrily. "A human child hunting Digimon and becoming their king? That's ridiculous!" Unknown to anyone, a Dark Ring had flown into the cave and was looking down on them, the Digimon Emperor seeing everything through his camera.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Theme)

"Ridiculous, you say?" the Emperor asked as he looked at the screen showing Kari. "What exactly is ridiculous about ensuring peace and order in the Digital World? You don't seem to understand yet…but you will." Bringing up a holographic keyboard, the Emperor pressed several buttons to call up a certain Digimon.

"Monochromon! Your targets are in a cave, fifty miles from your current location! I am sending four more Monochromon to aid you!" Making the keyboard disappear, the Emperor turned his attention back to the screens, but his attention was mostly set on the boy with the goggles and a Digivice similar to his.

"Let's see you get out of this one, Davis…"

* * *

"So this is the object you were talking about," TK said as he observed the red, yellow and orange object in the cave room with Kari and Davis.

"Yeah, and it's got the Crest of Courage," Patamon noted, looking at the orange sun.

'Courage…' Davis thought as he looked at Tai. His last visit in the Digital World, Davis, who received a Crest of his own in the Crest of Miracles, which he still wore around his neck to this day, was told of eight other Crests that existed along with his own, as well as Ken's Crest of Kindness and Ryo's Crest of Destiny. He learned that Tai's Crest was the Crest of Courage, Sora's was Love, and Kari's was Light.

"I tried to pick it up earlier," said Tai, "and when I did, it released two streams of light!"

"Two streams of light?" asked Davis. "Tai, were these lights colored red and yellow?"

"Yeah, why?" Tai asked curiously.

"Because we saw those lights fly out of a computer in school," said TK. "We don't know what they were, or where they went…"

"But it's safe to assume those lights were Digivices," continued Davis.

"Digivices…but for who?" asked Sora.

"I may have an idea," answered Davis, "but we'll need to get back home so I can be sure."

"Tai, why didn't you try to pick it up again?" Kari asked her brother. "It has your Crest on it, doesn't it?"

"I tried, but it was too heavy," Tai answered.

"He's right. I tried to lift it as well, but I didn't have much luck either," added Sora. As the Digidestined spoke, Veemon looked at the item curiously before gasping.

"I know what that object is! It's a Digimental!"

"A…what?" asked TK.

"Digimental," repeated Veemon. "The Digimentals are ancient objects of great power, said to unlock an ancient type of Digivolution!"

"Well, a fat lot of good that will do when we can't Digivolve," Gatomon said depressingly.

"Well, we won't know if it will work until we move it from this rock and try it!" TK said, walking over to the Digimental and tried to pick it up. But the egg refused to budge. TK pulled with all his strength, but slipped and fell on his butt.

"But it seems so small…" Kari said as she tried to lift up the Digimental, but failed. Kari then turned to her best friend. "Davis, you try it!"

"What…me?" the burgundy haired boy asked, surprised slightly.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"Yes, you," insisted Kari. "You haven't tried picking it up yet." Davis suddenly felt uneasy as he walked forward and knelt down in front of the Digimental. Feeling his throat dry slightly, Davis looked at the orange sun nervously. The Crest of Courage. He heard that it was Tai's crest, and he wondered why Tai was unable to lift it up. Tai was one of the bravest people Davis had ever known his entire life. He led the soccer team with no fear and great confidence, and he always stood up to anyone that bullied Kari or any of his friends.

Davis had wanted, more than anything, to be brave like Tai. He wanted to have courage like Tai, but being here in the Digital World again, after all this time, left him shaking with fear. Fear that someone would get hurt or killed again, much like with what happened today with Monochromon and Unimon. Throughout most of the day, Davis had this burning fear inside of him, and it had been with him ever since the final battle of Millenniummon.

"Well, what are you waiting for Davis?" TK asked impatiently. Davis sweated as he suddenly stood up and ran out the cave.

"I'm sorry Tai, but I can't do it!" the burgundy-haired boy yelled out as he ran. Confused at Davis's actions, Tai followed after his protégé, Veemon right behind him. Kari made a motion to follow, but Sora stopped her by holding out an arm in front of her.

"Let Tai handle this," the older girl said. Kari nodded, hoping Tai could talk with Davis.

* * *

"Damn it…damn it!" Davis cursed as he kicked a rock, fuming outside the cave entrance.

"Hey! Davis!" Davis looked up to see Veemon and Tai approaching him.

"Davis, are you okay? What was that?" Davis swallowed nervously as he looked up at his mentor.

"Tai…there's something I need to tell you…"

"I know. TK told me you were a Digidestined. How long, exactly?"

"For the last three years," Davis said, building up some nerves to tell Tai what he told Kari earlier. "It…it was hard for me. The last battle shook me up…and I…I've been uneasy about the Digital World since then, I've been afraid!"

"I understand," Tai said softly, placing a hand on Davis's shoulder. "I've been there before. It will be fine Davis."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"Easy for you to say, you have the Crest of Courage," Davis muttered, looking downcast. "You show no fear whatsoever, and you've been holding it together so easily. Me, on the other hand…I've been scared a lot, but I've been trying not to show it, I've been trying to keep it together for Kari's sake… because if I do show fear, something…could go wrong! I…I don't know if I deserve the Crest of Courage. I'm…I'm afraid…" Davis slid to his knees in despair as Tai looked down at him with a sad look in his eyes, Veemon walking over to offer some comfort to his partner. For a moment, Tai wondered what to do until it came to him.

"Davis." Tai knelt down and looked at Davis in the eye. "You've got it all wrong about courage."

"Huh?"

"Davis…courage isn't about being brave and having no fear. It's about having fear…and having the strength to overcome that fear. There have been several times when I was afraid of being here in the Digital World. But I refused to be afraid all of the time. If I did, then I wouldn't have been able to help Kari, or Sora, or Matt, or my other friends."

"You…you were afraid?" Davis asked, surprised at his mentor's confession of being afraid.

"Yes, but I overcame my fear by having the courage to face it," Tai said, "and having the courage to protect my friends. And I know, deep down…you have that courage as well."

Davis stared wide-eyed as he thought about what Tai said, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was true. Ever since he came back to the Digital World today, Davis had been afraid of everything around him, and he was afraid of dying or losing another friend, but he put that fear aside in order to find his mentor and sister figure, protect TK from Monochromon, and try to protect Kari from Unimon.

"You've always had courage Davis," Veemon said to his partner. "I remember those times you were afraid, but you sucked it up for our sakes." Davis remembered the first time he was here. He had been afraid the first few times, but he faced those fears for not only his sake, but for the sakes of Ken and Ryo. And now, he had to put aside his fears for not just Tai's sake, but for Kari's sake as well.

"I…I think I get it now," Davis said, smiling lightly as he accepted a hand up from Tai. "Thank you, Tai."  
"Think nothing of it," Tai said with a smile of his own. Feeling his resolve strengthen, Davis went back into the cave and walked up to the Digimental of Courage. Taking a deep breath, Davis clasped both hands around the Digimental tightly.

'1…2…3!' Counting in his head, Davis lifted up the Digimental and was surprised to see it come off easily.

"What the…Davis lifted it up easily!" TK said in astonishment.

"I knew he could do it," Tai whispered low enough for Sora and Kari to hear, both girls smiling big. The happy feelings did not last long as a reptilian roar sounded from outside the cave.

"We need to get out of this cave now," Davis said instantly as he began walking for the cave entrance with Veemon in tow. "We won't be able to fight well in an enclosed space." Kari was surprised at seeing Davis, who was fearful and reluctant moments before, feel so confident and sure of himself. It reminded her so much of the Davis she truly knew.

The Digidestined ran outside the cave to see five Monochromon waiting for them down the hill. Kari and TK immediately tensed up. They had been having enough trouble with one before, but five of them was even more trouble.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Teki no Wana Da, Ki o Tsukero!)

"Davis…I think the 'Jurassic reject' brought some friends," the child of Light muttered.

"It doesn't matter how many of them there are, I'll still take them down!" Veemon said as he cracked his knuckles. "Davis, you need to say 'Digi-Armor Energize'!"

"Wait, what will that do?" Davis asked confusedly.

"It will activate the Digimental!" said Veemon. "You might want to say it fast, because they're coming!" Sure enough, the five Monochromon began advancing up the hill. Gatomon, the only Champion level Digimon with the Digidestined, was prepared for a fight.

Taking a deep breath and pushing down any fear and doubts in him, Davis raised the Digimental up in the air and yelled at the top of his lungs, "DIGI-ARMOR, ENERGIZE!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

Both the Digimental and Veemon glowed bright orange upon Davis's yell. The Digimental floated out of Davis's hand and towards Veemon, merging with the blue dragon Digimon.

* * *

"What…what is this?!" the Digimon Emperor yelled in confusion as he watched from his monitor room.

* * *

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!" The light faded and a new Digimon stood in Veemon's place. He looked like a grown-up Veemon, standing slightly taller than Tai, who was taller than any of the Digidestined here. All over parts of his body were flaming pieces of armor. The Crest of Courage was emblazoned on his back, his hands and feet were tipped with sharp claws, and a sharp bladed horn jutted from his head.

"No way! He actually Digivolved!" Tai gasped, the Digidestined looking at the new Digimon in awe.

"Technically, it's Armor Digivolution," Flamedramon said before charging for the Monochromon, who were frozen in place from the unexpected Digivolution. Ramming into the closest Monochromon, Flamedramon knocked the dinosaur Digimon off the cliff and rolled down the cliff, knocking aside the other four Monochromon. The two Digimon crashed into the ground, with Flamedramon jumping off the lead Monochromon and landing on the ground, getting into a battle stance as the other Monochromon charged for him.

"Come on!" Flamedramon challenged as one Monochromon charged towards him while two more came in from the sides. Smirking slightly, Flamedramon crouched down before leaping high into the air right before the three Monochromon could smash into him with their horns. Unable to stop their charges, the Monochromon crashed into each other and felt dazed from the collision.

"FLAMING FIST!" Igniting the claws on his right hand in flames, Flamedramon thrust his arm forward as he dropped down from the sky, releasing a barrage of fireballs that rained down on the three Monochromon. The fireballs struck the Dark Rings around their waists, turning them into dust.

"Flamedramon was able to destroy those Dark Rings with ease!" Gatomon said, also in awe of the armor Digimon.

Davis watched as Flamedramon battled the last two Monochromon with a mesmerized look. He had forgotten how exciting it was to see his partner in action against other Digimon. That feeling had been lost on him somewhere between Veemon becoming Paildramon and the final battle with Millenniummon.

Davis also took the fight as an opportunity to study Veemon's new form. To his disappointment, Flamedramon's power and strength wasn't even close to ExVeemon's, but what he lacked in power, he made up for it in agility and speed, as well as hand-to-hand combat. And he was smaller than ExVeemon, which would beneficial when fighting in enclosed spaces, a problem ExVeemon had before.

"GUARDY TUSK!" One of the remaining Monochromon charged forward for Flamedramon, but the armor Digimon stood his ground and grabbed Monochromon by the head, stopping him and keeping him in place. However, this left him vulnerable to an attack from the second Monochromon.

"VOLCANIC STRIKE!" The fireball flew forward and hit Flamedramon in the back, but to everybody's surprise, the armor Digimon showed no reaction to being hit at all. Davis figured that since Flamedramon was a fire-based Digimon, fire attacks from other Digimon only strengthened him.

"All right…it's time to end this fight!" Yelling mightily, Flamedramon lifted the Monochromon he held in his hands off his feet and vertical suplexed him onto his fellow Monochromon. Jumping up into the sky again, Flamedramon clad in his entire body in flames.

"FIRE ROCKET!" Dropping down fast, Flamedramon collided with the first Monochromon's waist, shattering the Dark Ring. The armored dragon then leapt up again and rammed into the second Monochromon, breaking the last of the Dark Rings.

"All right, Flamedramon!" Agumon cheered as the group slid down the hill and ran up to Flamedramon. The armored Digimon glowed brightly before shrinking down and changing back into Veemon. A streak of orange light, which the others guessed was the Digimental of Courage, flew forward into Davis's Digivice before flying into his pocket. Feeling a new weight in there, Davis pulled the item out of his pocket to reveal a D-Terminal, which opened to reveal the Digimental of Courage on the screen.

"So, what did you guys think? Pretty neat, huh?" Veemon asked, rubbing the back of his head with a big smile.

"Yeah, I'll say," Davis said with a smile, knowing that familiar gesture of Veemon's. Behind him, Kari couldn't help but mirror Davis's amused expression, knowing that Davis often made that gesture when he either embarrassed or was trying to apologize for something. The similarities between Davis and Veemon were striking.

* * *

Back in the monitor room of his base, the Emperor gritted his teeth in frustration as he watched what happened. Not only had Davis and Veemon managed to free five of his slaves successfully, but they also managed to find a way to get around his anti-Digivolution block. He had been right before when he suspected that Davis's involvement would be a problem.

"Amazing…Davis and Veemon have gained access to the ancient Armor Digivolution," the caterpillar Digimon said as he crawled over to the Emperor's side. "And he looks powerful."

"But not powerful enough," the Emperor said as he stood up from his chair and walked out of the monitor room. He would have to come up with a new plan to take care of Davis.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm going home," the Emperor snapped before closing the door to the monitor room.

"Oh, Ken…" the Digimon said sadly before looking up at the screen showing Davis and Veemon again. Where did those days go…?

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ne Karou ~Target Instruments~)

"The sun's going down," Agumon said, noticing the setting sun. "That's good."

"Why is that good?" asked TK.

"Because the Digimon Emperor never acts during the night hours," explained Gatomon.

"I wouldn't expect him to," said TK. "If he's a kid like us, then chances are he has a home to go to."

"Speaking of home, we should get going as well," said Tai, earning nods from everyone. As the Digidestined walked towards the television set that brought Kari, TK and Davis to the Digital World, Davis couldn't help but think about today, and what Gatomon had said.

'Another Digidestined has a Digivice like mine…and I have a feeling two more kids may have them,' the child of Miracles thought to himself. Davis couldn't help but wonder about this Digimon Emperor. He had no idea who the Emperor was or what part of the Human World he came from, but Davis couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling that he wouldn't like what he found out about the Emperor.

'Geez…if only Ken and Ryo were here,' Davis thought about the two boys he had fought alongside with years ago. He had little to no contact with Ken ever since Ken's brother Sam died shortly after their adventures…and Ryo had gotten lost between time and space when Justimon delivered the finishing blow to Millenniummon. He couldn't help but wonder about both of them and their current statuses. Would Ken be called back as well? And would Ryo find a way back from wherever he was? If they did, it would certainly help Davis feel better. He felt okay with Kari, Tai and Sora, but he had never really worked with them before when it came to the Digital World, today was his first day with them. And he knew he would have problems with TK, if their argument earlier was any indication. And he didn't know the other Digidestined all that well. He felt comfortable in the Digital World when it was just him, Ken and Ryo. But now that he would be working with not just three kids he knew since childhood, along with five others…seven if those beams of light were what he thought they were…this would take some getting used to.

Behind him and Veemon, Kari and Gatomon both were deep in thought. Kari was thinking about how Davis had been acting today. When they entered the Digital World, Davis was constantly looking around the Digital World uneasily and looked reluctant to be here. But after he was reunited with Veemon and found the Digimental of Courage, Davis had managed to regain some of his old swagger. Though he still looked slightly cautious as the Digidestined reached the Digital Gate, it wasn't as extreme as it was earlier. While Kari was glad to see Davis was acting like his old self again, it also disturbed her. From what Davis had told her, his experiences in the Digital World weren't exactly pleasant. And it worried her greatly that Davis didn't tell her the full story. What had happened to Davis the last time he was here?

Gatomon, meanwhile, kept her gaze on Davis as well, as knew without a doubt that she saw him somewhere before…but where, was the question.

"All right guys, we're here!" Davis said, stopping up at the TV set. Looking down at the screen, the Digidestined were surprised to see Izzy in the screen, along with Yolei and Cody. The three children were sitting in front of what was obviously the Digital Gate, eating what appeared to be food.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne…)

"Man, it's about time you showed up Cody!" Yolei's voice rang through the TV.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I had to go home to get the ohagi," Cody said, biting into a rice ball.

"Hmm, this ohagi is good," Izzy said between bites.

"Yeah, it is!" Yolei said as she finished off the last of her food. "So, shall we go now?"

"Go?" Izzy asked confused.

"Duh!" Yolei said as if Izzy was dumb and pointed to the computer. "I'm talking about the Digital World!"

"Oh!" Izzy gasped, looking at the Digital Gate. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea Yolei…none of us have Digimon partners, and…" The sound of beeping from the computer caught everybody's attention. The screen suddenly flashed, and to Cody and Yolei's great surprise, five children flew out of the computer with what appeared to be four stuffed animals. Everybody was caught in a dog-pile on the floor of the computer lab, with Izzy being on the bottom.

"Get off me!" Izzy wheezed. "You're crushing my ribs…and my ohagi!"

'Good grief…' Davis thought as he was mushed between Kari and Yolei. 'What have I gotten myself into…?'

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

In an apartment in Tamachi, a young boy with dark blue hair typed furiously on his computer, the screen displaying a familiar pair of glasses.

"You won't be my undoing Davis…I will have my revenge!"

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 3


	4. Chapter 4: The Tale of Miracles

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Three years after adventuring into the Digital World with Ken and Ryo, Davis Motomiya returned to the Digital World and was reunited with his partner Digimon Veemon. The Digidestined learned of a human called the Digimon Emperor that's enslaving Digimon and preventing Digivolution. But Davis found the Digimental of Courage, allowing Veemon to Armor Digivolve into Flamedramon. A new adventure begins…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Tale of Miracles

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)

"Ow, what the hell?!" Yolei cried as she struggled out of the pile of bodies on top of her.

"You guys…just came out of the computer!" gasped Cody, who was helping everyone get out of the pile, as he was the only one not caught in the pile. "Where did you all come from?"

"Duh! Isn't it obvious? We came from the Digital World!" Cody looked over to the computer desks, where the voice came from, and yelled in surprise. There, sitting on the computer, were four small creatures that looked like an orange dinosaur, a winged hamster, a white and purple cat with green paws, and a small blue and white dragon with stubby arms and legs. Cody was surprised as the creatures weren't there before, and they actually talked.

"Cody, what's wrong?" Yolei asked, finally freeing herself and looking over to where Cody's attention was diverted, yelling surprise as well from seeing the small creatures.

"What…what are you?!"

"Those are Digimon," Davis said, getting up to his feet and helping Kari up. "These are the Digimon I was telling you about earlier, Yolei."

"No…way…" Yolei breathed, looking at the four in awe before remembering something. "Hey…this is a Digivice, right? Izzy said yours look like this." As she spoke, the lavender-haired girl pulled out something from her dress pocket and showed it to Davis, who looked at it in mild surprise. While he suspected it, it was still a shock for Yolei to have a Digivice in her hand, looking very much like his, but with red grips and a white body. If Yolei had it, then that meant she was chosen to be a Digidestined.

"I take it Cody has one as well?" the child of Miracles asked, looking over to the younger boy. Cody nodded and showed his Digivice, which bore a white body and yellow grips, looking much like Davis and Yolei's.

'What does this mean…?' Davis thought. Three years ago, his Digivice was the only one to have a design different from the others. Now, Yolei and Cody had Digivices of the same design, and according to the Digimon, this Digimon Emperor, whoever he was, had a Digivice of the same design, only it was black.

"I explained the Digital World and the Digimon to Yolei and Cody while you were gone," said Izzy, who was now free from the pile and brushing ohagi crumbs off his school uniform.

"Yeah, and now that you guys are back, I want to go to the Digital World now!" Yolei said, walking up to Izzy. "It sounds amazing!"

"It does sound amazing, but it's also dangerous," said Davis. "The Digital World isn't something to be taken lightly Yolei."

"Davis is right," said Tai. "Besides, it's getting late."

"What?! But you guys got to go!" cried Yolei.

"Yeah, and it wasn't for fun," Davis said as he picked up his partner, who had degenerated into his In-Training level of DemiVeemon. Davis wasn't sure how Veemon reverted to DemiVeemon, but he wasn't complaining much as it would be easier to get him into the apartment past his parents.

"But I want to go!" Yolei protested again. "And I'm sure Cody wants to go as well!"

"Well…I am interested in the Digital World and the Digimon, and I want to know more about it, but I think we should listen to Davis and Tai about the dangers…besides, it's getting late, and you promised you would fix my computer."

"Oh…all right," Yolei whined, realizing she was outnumbered and that Cody was right about the promise she made earlier today.

"Yeah, it's almost dinner time," said Tai. "Plus, we need to meet up later tonight."

"We? Who's we?" asked Cody.

"I think Tai is talking about us original Digidestined," explained Izzy, knowing that Tai was not only referring to the two of them, Sora, TK and Kari, along with Joe, Mimi and Matt.

"Yeah, Matt, Mimi and Joe will want to know about all of this," said Sora, "and I think you'll want to know more about this Izzy."

"I do," said Izzy, looking at the rumpled clothes, dirt and bruises on Tai, Sora, Kari, TK and Davis, as well as the Digimon. "You look like you've been through hell today."

"You don't know the half of it," TK said as he shook his head. As the group talked amongst themselves, Tai and TK getting reacquainted with their Digimon, Kari noticed Davis walking out of the lab with DemiVeemon in his arms. Thinking to herself for a moment, Kari scooped Gatomon up into her arms and followed after Davis, Sora noticing the departures before turning her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Okay, so we'll meet at the park after dinner, tonight at eight," Tai said, getting nods from TK, Sora and Izzy.

"All right, we'll send out the messages then," said Izzy before turning to Yolei and Cody. "There's nothing much you two can do right now, but I promise you'll be able to come with us tomorrow to the Digital World. We'll be able to explain more then."

"Well…all right," Yolei said with a sigh, finally admitting defeat and walking out of the lab with Cody by her side.

"I'm worried about that Yolei girl," Tai said once he was sure the two new Digidestined, Yolei especially, were out of earshot. "She doesn't seem to know the dangers yet, but Cody seems to get it."

"If Yolei doesn't get it yet, then she will tomorrow," Izzy sighed, turning off the computer. It wasn't until the Digidestined prepared to leave that TK noticed the absence of two of their number.

"Hey, where'd Kari go? And Davis too?"

"I saw Davis leave a few moments ago, and Kari was following close behind," said Sora. The group walked out the computer lab, Tai and TK carrying their partners, and began walking down the hallway to look for Davis and Kari when they heard two familiar voices nearby.

* * *

"…don't get why you don't want to come to the meeting?! It concerns the Digital World Davis, and you've been a part of it for as long as I have!" Kari told Davis for what may have been the tenth time when she caught up with him and insisted he come to the meeting tonight.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"I've only been a part of it for three years!" Davis said. "Besides, isn't this between you and the older kids?" He was getting fed up with the situation, as well as confused over Kari's strange behavior. It wasn't like her to argue so adamantly about anything with him. They had a few rows in the past, but those were mostly playful. This was something else.

"Well, you're older than me!"

"Yeah, by two months!" Davis argued back, not sure why he said that. Kari took a deep breath before she could deliver a snappy reply about Davis's stubbornness, and spoke again.

"You promised me that you would tell Tai and the others…"

"I'm not ready for that yet Kari!" argued Davis. "I…I still need some things to work out and think over."

"You don't have to tell us the full story," insisted Kari. "Please Davis…I'm sure the other Digidestined would like to meet you." Davis wanted to say no, but he couldn't look away from the pleading look in his best friend's eyes.

"All right," he finally said with a sigh. "I'll come with you to the meeting…but I don't want to tell them everything just yet…"

"I understand," Kari said, a hand on Davis's shoulder. Gatomon and DemiVeemon watched the scene with interest and confusion, as well as everyone else.

"Do they usually bicker like this?" TK asked Sora, knowing the red-haired girl had been around the two longer than him.

"Usually, but it's for play and nothing too serious," Sora said, surprised at how differently Kari was acting. "Still, this is Davis we're talking about, and Kari has always cared for him greatly." TK simply nodded as he watched on.

"Humans are certainly a weird bunch," Gatomon muttered, sitting next to DemiVeemon, who had leapt out of Davis's arms and was sitting on the floor.

"You know Kari, I've never really seen you be stubborn like this before," Davis sighed, picking up his partner again. "When did you get good at arguing like this?"

"Well, with Tai as my brother and you as my friend, I guess I learned from the best…and I guess Sora could be held in that regard," Kari said with a sweet smile. TK and Izzy both snorted as Tai and Sora blushed slightly.

"You're definitely right about that," Gatomon muttered, causing DemiVeemon and Agumon to laugh.

"Okay, let's get home and eat so we won't be hungry during the meeting!" Davis said, walking out of the school and heading for his apartment.

* * *

"So you went back to the Digital World today? And Tai, Kari and Sora went with you?"

Those were the first questions Jun asked once Davis was done telling his story. When Jun asked Davis why he didn't come home two hours ago, Davis told her the truth, since Jun knew about the Digital World and Digimon, and she was someone Davis really trusted, besides Kari. Davis also showed DemiVeemon to his sister, who completely squealed with delight at how cute the little Digimon looked, much to Davis's embarrassment and DemiVeemon's happiness.

"That's basically the sum of it, yes."

"And there are five others like you and them?"

"Seven, actually," corrected Davis. "Chizuru's sister Yolei is a Digidestined, as well as a friend of Yolei's named Cody Hida."

"What?! Yolei's a Digidestined as well?" asked Jun, who knew Yolei through her friendship with Chizuru and Momoe Inoue.

"Put them together with the original eight...plus myself, Ken and Ryo…that makes it thirteen in all." Davis was concerned for the two new kids. It was clear that the Kari and the rest of the original Digidestined were prepared for the Digital World and knew the dangers, but Yolei had no idea and passed off the warnings as ridiculous. And Cody was at the same age Davis was when he first entered the Digital World. He could only imagine how Cody would take it. He seemed more mature and serious than most kids his age, but everybody had a breaking point.

Jun studied her brother with a worried expression on her face. When Davis returned home three years ago, he had a faraway look and was crying greatly, the final battle having affecting him badly and forcing him to grow up early. It was only through her comforting, as well as Davis spending time with Kari, Tai and Sora, and focusing on soccer, that Davis was able to stay sane. The teenage girl sighed. A 12 year old boy shouldn't have to worry about stuff like saving the world from interdimensional monsters, but sadly Davis was not like other 12 year olds.

"So, does Ken know about this?" Davis tensed up at Jun's next question, knowing that it was coming.

"Yeah, that reminds me!" DemiVeemon said, looking up from his bowl of ramen. "Davis, where is Ken? I didn't see him today in the Digital World. And I didn't see Ryo either!" Davis tensed again, realizing he should tell DemiVeemon the news now rather than later.

"About that…DemiVeemon, can you come here please?" Davis asked, motioning to the spot on his bed. DemiVeemon nodded, slurping down the last of his soup and jumping up on Davis's bed.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"DemiVeemon…I need you to tell me…what was the last thing you remember three years ago during our last battle with Milllenniummon?" DemiVeemon's eyes widened with surprise before filling with sadness.

"I remember…saying goodbye to you…before I unleashed the strongest attack I ever released on Millenniummon…after that, I remember waking up as Chibomon in Primary Village…and you weren't around." Davis's heart clenched up slightly as he remembered when he left the Digital World three years ago. Veemon's egg hadn't hatched yet and Davis didn't want to leave without saying a proper goodbye to his partner.

"I…I'm sorry DemiVeemon. I had to leave you…the portal was closing, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you without being in the middle of a battle. But your egg…it hadn't hatched yet and I didn't have much time…I'm sorry…" Davis felt his eyes water again. Jun quickly ran over to Davis and wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace of comfort. The goggled boy sobbed silently before he felt DemiVeemon climbing up on his shirt.

"Davis…please don't be sorry. I'm not angry at you and I don't hate you. I understand. But it's all good. We were able to reunite in the end, didn't we?" Davis smiled as he wiped his eyes clean of tears before bringing Jun and DemiVeemon into a hug.

"Yeah, we did buddy. Yeah we did."

"So what happened anyway after I died?" DemiVeemon asked once the hug was broken. Davis hesitated slightly, but decided to be truthful, as he knew DemiVeemon deserved to hear the truth.

"Well…Millenniummon was hurt badly by your attack, but he wasn't down yet. Ken's injuries and your death caused Ryo to snap and he charged at him with Justimon. Justimon kicked Millenniummon right through the chest with his Justice Kick…but something went wrong. When Justimon and Millenniummon connected, a dimensional warp opened up and Ryo and Justimon were sucked in. He's been gone ever since, lost in time and space."

"What?!" DemiVeemon asked in shock. "Is there any way we can get him back?!"

"I don't know buddy," Davis said sadly. "As for Ken…he was able to pull through his injuries and he came back home with me. He lives in Tamachi, but I haven't been in contact with him since Sam died."

"Sam? Who's Sam?"

"Sam…was Ken's older brother," Davis answered his partner. "A week after we came home from the Digital World, Sam was hit by a drunk driver and he died. I tried to stay in contact with Ken, but we eventually stopped talking because Ken was still mourning."

"Is Ken…okay now?" DemiVeemon then asked. Davis looked up at the ceiling before letting out a breath of air.

"He…seems to be doing okay. From what I've seen of him on several TV reports and newspaper clippings, he seemed to study more and has become quite a known genius where he lives…but I don't know. Maybe he's still hurting about Sam. After all…humans and Digimon are different in several ways."

"If Ken doesn't know yet Davis, then I think you should really tell him," insisted Jun. "I know you've been distant for the last three years, but maybe this will help you guys reconnect." Davis was silent as he pondered Jun's words. During his stay in the Digital World, he had formed a friendship with Ken and Ryo that was just as special as his friendship with Kari, and one of his biggest regrets was not seeing more of Ken after the Digital World. He had tried to stay in contact with Ken, but the grief he went through over Veemon's death, and the grief Ken was going through over Sam's death, made it impossible.

"All right, I'll send him a message. But I'm not sure if he'll respond…"

"I'm sure he will!" DemiVeemon said confidentially before looking over to see the clock on Davis's bedside table read 7:35. "Oh, we need to get going to the park Davis!"

"Oh…right!" Davis gasped, remembering the meeting that would happen in twenty-five minutes.

"Are you really going to tell them everything?" Jun asked as Davis strapped on his shoes.

"Not really everything…only a few essentials," Davis said before walking out of the apartment with DemiVeemon in hand. Jun remained standing in the hallway for several minutes, wondering how her brother would handle things in the park. Coming to a decision, Jun tied on her own shoes before leaving the apartment, heading to the direction of the park.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

Tai and Kari were already in the park, waiting for the other Digidestined to show up. As Kari watched Gatomon chase after some pigeons and Agumon sleep under a tree, she wondered if Davis would truly show up for the meeting.

"Tai…do you think Davis will show up?"

"I'm sure he will Kari," Tai answered his sister. "To be honest, I'm hoping he does show up."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see," Tai said, sitting down the bench as he looked up at the night sky, thinking about the decision he made during dinner at their apartment. Tai realized that due to his commitments to high school, as well as the soccer team, and Agumon being unable to Digivolve, the bushy-haired boy realized that there needed to be a new leader for the new Digidestined. He realized if Davis, Yolei and Cody had the same Digivice design, then they were part of a new team of Digidestined; a new team that would be able to go to the Digital World when the older kids were unable to. And he also knew Kari and TK would be available as well, due to their experience and Gatomon being a Champion level Digimon.

But what the new team needed was their own leader, and Davis was the best option. He didn't know much about Yolei and Cody, but he knew from the way Yolei was, she wasn't taking the Digital World seriously, and while Cody seemed more mature than someone his age, he was still too young to be a leader.

He could make Kari or TK the new leader, but there were cons to it. TK's cons were he was too soft, and didn't like making rash and hard decisions. And from what he saw from TK's argument with Davis, TK seemed like he would let his emotions get the better of him. While Kari didn't let her emotions get the better of her, she was like TK when it came to the hard decisions.

In the end, Davis was the perfect candidate to become leader, and Tai knew it, at least in his mind. Even though Davis had that moment in the Digital World today where he admitted he was afraid, he was able to gather up his courage to save everyone from the Monochromon. The other older kids didn't know Davis as well as him, so Tai would have to push his cause at the meeting, but he was sure with support of Kari and Sora, and possibly Izzy as well, he was sure Davis would be accepted as the new leader. His other hope was that Davis accepted the role.

"Hey Tai, Kari!" Sora called as she ran over to the two Digidestined. "I called Mimi when I got home. She should be here any minute now!"

"Try any second now!" a cheery voice rang out, catching the attention of Kari, Tai and Sora. Walking up to them was Mimi Tachikawa, the 14-year-old captain of the cheerleader team. The most bubbly member of the Digidestined, Mimi was able to light up a room instantly with her friendly personality, and she could be brutally honest if it came to it, given her reputation as the holder of the Crest of Sincerity. Mimi looked around and was shocked to see Gatomon and Agumon nearby.

"No way…so the Digimon are back! Where's Palmon?"

"We'll explain everything once the others get here," Tai said. Mimi nodded in acknowledgment and sat down next to Sora, wondering where her Digimon partner was, as she was anxious to see her again after so long.

"Wait! Don't start the meeting without me!" another familiar voice yelled as Joe Kido, who was the oldest of the Digidestined at 16 years old, and went to a medical college in Odaiba to learn how to be a doctor. Even though Joe was the oldest, he still tended to worry every now and then. Even now he was wondering how long this meeting would last, as he needed to get home soon and study for an oral test he had tomorrow. Even though Joe knew the material by heart, he still wanted to get one more study session in before tomorrow, in case he missed even the slightest detail. Like Mimi, Joe instantly saw the two Digimon and wondered where his own partner, the wise-cracking Gomamon, was.

"Relax Joe. We're still waiting for Matt and TK," Izzy said as he walked into the park. "I wonder what's keeping them."

"Cut them some slack Izzy," said Tai. "It's been a while since they've seen each other…plus Matt's been doing well in his band."

"They shouldn't be long," said Sora, who had climbed up on the monkey bars and was peering into the darkness for the two brothers. "Not even Matt would miss something involving the Digital World…wait, here they come!"

"Sorry we're late," Matt Ishida said as he walked into the park with TK by his side, Patamon sitting on TK's head. "I was in the middle of band practice when TK came in and I had to cut it early." A year ago, Matt had started his own band called the Teenage Wolves, which was gaining a following of fans, mostly girls that went crazy for them. Matt's music had become an important part of his life, but there was something else in his life that was more important…and that part of his life came back to him unexpectedly when he saw the orange and cream colored creature in his younger brother's arms when TK came in during band practice. The moment TK told him the Digidestined were having a meeting in the park, Matt immediately called off band practice for the night, citing a personal issue. Matt's band members understood and let Matt leave.

"It's not a problem, Matt," said Kari. "We're just waiting for one more to show up."

"One more?" Matt asked as he looked around, and was immediately confused when he noticed that not only was he here, and his brother as well, but Tai, Kari, Sora, Mimi, Izzy and Joe were all present. What was more was he noticed Agumon and Gatomon were here as well, but not his partner Gabumon.

"But…we're all here, aren't we?" asked Mimi, who looked confused as well before remembering something. "Wait! Is Ryo coming as well?" This caused everyone to look in surprise at Mimi, suddenly remembering the boy who came to their aid on New Year's Eve four years ago when they were all kidnapped by a powerful Digimon called Millenniummon. The Digidestined remembered that day well, as Ryo Akiyama, who was chosen as a Digidestined as well, and received his own Crest, the Crest of Destiny, rescued them and they battled Millenniummon. That day was remembered well because Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon and Gatomon were able to reach the Mega level, a level that Agumon and Gabumon had only managed to achieve before, and a level which Ryo's partner, Monodramon, had managed to reach as well. After Millenniummon was defeated and the Digidestined all returned home, Ryo had left Odaiba for Kyoto, and the Digidestined hadn't seen him since then.

"Aw, man…I completely forgot about Ryo!" Tai said, smacking his forehead in embarrassment.

"Don't worry Tai, I remembered Ryo," said Izzy. "I sent him a message when I got home, asking him if he would be able to make it here from Tamachi for the meeting, but I didn't get a message back."

"Who knows? Maybe something's keeping Ryo from making it," said Matt.

"I sure hope not," said Joe. "He's as much of a part as we are."

"Well…as much as I want Ryo to show up, he's actually not the one we're waiting for," said Tai.

"Then who is it?" asked Joe.

* * *

As the eight Digidestined talked amongst themselves, they were oblivious to someone hiding behind a tree in the distance, listening to their every single word.

If Davis didn't feel uneasy about coming to the meeting before, he certainly did now. Hearing them talked about Ryo made them wonder if he should really tell them the full story.

"Davis…are we going or not?" DemiVeemon asked worriedly, as if he sensed his partner's distressed thoughts.

"I…I don't know…I did promise Kari that I would come…but I'm wondering if I should tell them the truth about Ryo…from what they're talking of him…"

"Maybe you should," a female voice said, causing Davis to turn around in surprise. He almost yelled as well, but the girl in front of him quickly covered his mouth with both her hands.

"Easy, easy! It's me!" Jun said as she lowered her hands from Davis's mouth.

"Jun, what are you doing here?!" Davis whispered, shocked to see his older sister here.

"I followed you to see if you would go through with this meeting. Are you?" Davis looked at Jun with a hesitant look, before looking back at the Digidestined.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"I…I don't really have a choice now, especially since I promised Kari…" Jun smirked upon hearing Kari's name being brought up, knowing that Davis knew better than to break a promise he made to his best friend.

"…but after hearing them talk about Ryo," Davis continued, "I'm not sure now if I should tell them the full story or not." Davis remembered his adventures with Ryo, who had told them about the Digidestined, and helping them fight Millenniummon the first time. Jun sighed before speaking again, realizing Davis would need her help again.

"Davis, maybe you should tell them about Ryo…but don't tell them everything if you're really uncomfortable about it."

"No…you're right Jun," Davis said, breathing deeply as he turned into the direction of the Digidestined. "If I'm going to tell them…then I should just tell them." Breathing deep again, Davis began walking towards the Digidestined, Jun watching on from the tree Davis had occupied moments before.

'Good luck Davis…' she thought as she looked at the Digidestined, recognizing Tai, Kari and Sora…the others she didn't recognize much until she came across a blond-haired boy wearing the green high school uniform. Jun couldn't help but notice that he looked familiar, and when the boy turned with his face in view, Jun stifled a gasp, recognizing him almost instantly.

"No way…he's a Digidestined as well!"

* * *

"Well, where is this other guy anyway?" Matt asked impatiently. "We don't really have all night, you know!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Adventure Heart ~Daisuke no Theme~#2)

"Hey guys, I'm here!" a voice unknown to half the Digidestined rang throughout the park. Kari and Tai's faces lit up with happiness as they saw Davis walking towards them with DemiVeemon in his arms for everybody to see.

"You actually made it!" Kari said happily, pleased to see Davis had decided to live up on his promise.

"Well, I figured I have a lot of things to tell you," Davis said as he sat down, a small smile on his face. As this happened, Mimi looked at the boy with a confused look, cocking her head to one side.

'He looks…familiar…' the child of Sincerity noted.

"Uh, Tai…who's this guy?" Matt asked, looking at Davis with a raised eyebrow before glancing down to see a blue dragon moving in the boy's arms. The bearer of Friendship's eyes widened greatly as he suddenly realized it.

"Is that a Digimon with him?!" Joe asked as he looked at DemiVeemon.

"Yes, this is a Digimon," Davis said, placing DemiVeemon on the ground for everybody to look at.

"Hi there! I'm DemiVeemon!" the little Digimon said happily.

"I…I suppose I should introduce myself," Davis said in an embarrassed tone. "My name is Davis Motomiya…and I've been a Digidestined for three years."

"HUH?!" That was the response from Matt, Joe and Mimi, who were surprised at what they just heard.

"I suppose we should start at what happened after school today," Izzy said, motioning to Tai and Sora for them to begin the story.

"All right, it all started like this…" Tai began.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Wonderland)

On the balcony of his apartment, Cody bought down his shinai in a powerful swing with perfect control. He always practiced Kendo before dinner, and the warm spring evening was perfect for practicing outside as Yolei sat cross-legged in his room, a toolbox open by her side as he worked on Cody's computer.

Though Cody was ten years old, he was more skilled in kendo than most high schoolers, though he never boasted it, as he felt bragging wasn't honorable.

Though his form was good as always, along with the timing and force of his swings, Cody's mind wasn't on kendo tonight, but rather, the Digital World. Cody usually wasn't one to daydream and imagine things, but from what Izzy told him earlier today, and giving what he saw, he accepted that the Digital World was very much real, and it fascinated him.

"I wonder what kind of world the Digital World is…" Cody murmured as he looked at the tip of his weapon, "and what it would be like to travel there…"

"Move that there…replace those wires…" Yolei muttered as she tinkered with Cody's computer. Though she wasn't a genius with computers like Izzy was, she knew how to program them as well as fix them. All she had to do was search for the problem, identify it, and take care of it. However, like Cody, her mind was fixated on the Digital World. Whatever it was, it sounded like an adventure, and it was one Yolei would be able to partake in, something that would make her stand out from the rest of her siblings. All she needed was to enter it.

"Tomorrow, I'm going there for sure, and I don't care what Davis or the others say!" Yolei said determinedly as she finished fixing the computer. "There, that should do it!"

"Cody, dinner's ready!" the brown haired boy's mother said as she entered the room, looking at Cody first before looking down at the lavender-haired girl. "Yolei, will you stay for dinner? I made macaroni."

"Well, chances are my family may have already gotten the good parts of the dinner already," Yolei said as she lifted the computer back up on the desk and plugged it in. "So I'll stay. Thank you, Mrs. Hida."

"Don't mention it, dear," Cody's mother said before leaving the room. As Cody and Yolei left the bedroom, they both though the same thing.

'Tomorrow, I'm going to the Digital World!'

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"A new Digivice?" Mimi asked in surprise, looking at the white and blue device in Davis's hand.

"It looks completely different from ours," Joe noted as he got a look as well with Matt.

"Yes, and I'm hoping I can scan it and see what kind of features it has that ours doesn't," Izzy said, looking up Davis. "Davis, do you mind if I look it over?"

"Sure, but just be sure you have it back by tomorrow," Davis said with a nod.

"Don't worry. My analysis shouldn't last long." Taking the device from Mimi's hand, Izzy plugged the Digivice into his computer and began the analysis.

"Davis…didn't you just say your last name was Motomiya?" Matt asked suddenly, getting attention from everybody.

"Yes…why do you ask?" Davis inquired with a confused expression and a raised eyebrow.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to a Jun Motomiya, would you?"

"Yeah, she's my older sister, why do you ask?"

"You know Davis's sister, Matt?" Sora asked the child of Friendship.

"Yeah, I went to a music camp one year and I met a girl named Jun Motomiya. She's been a friend of mine…and a fan of my band."

"Wait! You're that Matt?" Davis now asked in surprise. He remembered Jun telling her about a boy named Matt Ishida more than once, and he also remembered Ryo telling him about a boy named Matt bearing the Crest of Friendship. He cursed himself mentally for not making the connection.

"Yeah…you're definitely her brother," Matt chuckled in amusement.

"So you went to the Digital World three years ago?" Joe suddenly asked. Davis let out a sigh, deciding where to start.

"Yes…three years ago, I went to the Digital World…but my first interaction with Digimon was four years ago."

"Four years ago…that was around the same time Myotismon and his army attacked Odaiba," TK noted, getting nods from the original eight Digidestined.

"I remember that time well…" Davis said. "My family and I were among those that Myotismon and his army had kidnapped and held captive at Big Sight." Upon hearing the words "Big Sight", both Mimi and Gatomon gasped out loud and yelled, "I remember you now!"

"Wait, what?!" Davis yelped as he looked up at the two who just spoke. "You do?!"

"Yeah! You were one of the kids in the group Gatomon was going through! What I noticed was you were the only one besides me that wasn't afraid."

"She's right," Gatomon said, remembering the boy now. "He never looked afraid…even when he confronted Myotismon."

"What?!" Kari yelled in surprise as she looked at Davis with the other Digidestined. "Davis, is that true?!"

Davis gave a half smile as he remembered that day well. "I didn't just get up in his face…I kicked him in the leg!"

"You did WHAT?!" yelled the other Digidestined.

"I remember that day well…" Mimi said as she thought back to that day.

* * *

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Adventure: Bolero)

 _Ten year old Mimi Tachikawa stayed hidden amongst the masses of children being forced in front of Gatomon, who Mimi had just found out was the partner of the eighth Digidestined they were searching for. As much as the child of Sincerity wanted to help Gatomon, who looked torn up doing this, she was in a bad spot as Lillymon had been paralyzed by Myotismon and Sora had to escape to find the other Digidestined. So she continued hiding, in the hopes that Myotismon nor DemiDevimon recognized her._

 _As she hid, Mimi watched with anger and disgust as DemiDevimon flew down on the children, scaring them and laughing as they cried. However, the bat Digimon's enjoyment didn't last long as a young boy with burgundy-colored hair and tanned skin suddenly punched him out of the air._

 _"Ow! Okay, who's the wise guy that did that?!" DemiDevimon asked angrily. The Bakemon in the room quickly found the boy and grabbed him, dragging him forward to Gatomon and Myotismon, dropping him in front of them. As they passed Mimi, she couldn't help but notice a pair of square goggles around his neck, which reminded her a little of Tai._

 _"You definitely seem like a fighter…" Myotismon noted as he looked down at Davis, who looked up at the vampire Digimon, his face set in a scowl and his eyes full of defiance. Whoever this guy was, Davis didn't like him at all…he was just bad news._

 _"I wonder if you're the one," Myotismon stated, looking from Davis to Gatomon, the latter shaking her head, which was all the answer he needed. "Very well then…away with you."_

 _"Not until you tell me why you're doing all of this!" Davis yelled angrily. "What's the point of all this?"_

 _"Well, if you must know…" Myotismon said with an evil smirk. "I plan to find the eighth Digidestined child, and whoever he or she is, I shall destroy them, and nothing will stop me then from ascending as the king of two worlds!"_

 _"You stupid guy…" Davis balled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth in anger. "You think so tough…if you have to do this, then you're not some super-strong vampire monster, you're a bully, and a super-weak coward!" In his moment of anger, Davis ran over, pulled his leg back and kicked Myotismon in the shin._

 _"AGH!" Myotismon yelled in pain as he dropped down on one knee, clutching his aching leg. It wouldn't have hurt much as he prepared for it, but he didn't expect any of the human children here to attack him, let alone confront him like this one just did! Gatomon smirked at seeing Myotismon get a small taste of what was surely to come to him in the future, and DemiDevimon and the Bakemon just stared in complete shock._

 _"You…impudent little brat!" Myotismon snarled as he felt the pain subside from his leg. "You'll regret that deeply! CRIMSON LIGHTNING!" A blood red whip appeared in his hands and Myotismon struck the boy with it._

 _Davis yelled in pain and shock as he was sent flying off his feet, landing on the other side of the room. Davis gagged as he looked down, seeing a blood-red gash on his side, created from the whip._

 _"You…coward…" Davis muttered before falling unconscious from the pain. Myotismon growled as he looked over at the crowd of kids, who were staring in absolute shock and horror._

 _"Will anyone else attempt to fill his shoes?" Nobody answered Myotismon as the next kid stepped into line for Gatomon to look over. Mimi looked over to where the boy was with worry and sadness. As much as she wanted to help him, she would risk blowing her cover, and that would mean Myotismon would forgo the line and threaten Gatomon with Mimi's life for the eighth child's identity…if Gatomon knew it, that is. For now, all she could do was wait for something to happen…_

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"That definitely wasn't one of my better ideas," Davis grimaced as he pulled up his shirt to show the scar he received from Myotismon's attack, causing everyone to gasp in shock at the scar.

"That's how you got that scar?!" Kari asked, who had known about Davis's scar for a few years. "You told me that you got it when you accidently went through your apartment's balcony door!"

"Well, that's what my parents wanted the story to be," admitted Davis. "The whole Digimon thing really shook them up, especially with my injury."

"I don't exactly blame them," said Mimi. "All of our parents were worried about what we went through…and what they went through as well." The pink-haired girl's parents were so shaken up by it, they moved to America, but Mimi refused to leave her best friends in Japan, so her parents eventually relented and moved back a few months ago.

"I see…" Izzy said, looking up from his computer. "Perhaps those events you went through was what led to you becoming a Digidestined."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Perhaps," said Davis. "I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a week after Omnimon's battle with Diaboromon." The Digidestined nodded, remembering that event well before letting Davis continue. "I had just gotten home and when I was in my room when my Digivice came out of my computer. When I touched it, I was sucked into my computer and I found myself in the Digital World."

"That's similar to how we entered the Digital World," noted Sora. "When we found our Digivices, we were pulled into the Digital World."

"When I entered the Digital World, I met Veemon, who told me that he was my partner. Then I learned about the eight Digidestined, who were you guys."

"Wait, you knew we were Digidestined?!" asked Tai, who was just as shocked as Sora was.

"Yes," said Davis. "I learned about your first battles with Devimon on File Island…and then you fought Etemon, came back here to fight Myotismon…and then your battle with Apocalymon and the Dark Masters, which the whole world probably saw. I also learned about your battle with Millenniummon…where Ryo Akiyama saved you."

"You know everything about our adventures!" Joe said in an astonished breath. "How do you know all of that?" This was the moment Davis knew was coming. As much as he wanted to wait…he knew he couldn't. It was tell them or not…and Davis went with the former.

"Because I wasn't the only one in the Digital World. I was joined by two other boys...and Ryo Akiyama was one of them."

" **WHAT?!** " If the Digidestined's previous yells of surprise weren't loud enough, the next one was so loud, it could have been heard in New York City.

"You were in the Digital World with Ryo?!" Sora asked in surprise.

"No way!" gasped Tai.

(Play Digimon: Shouri Zen no Theme)

"Yes, I did meet Ryo Akiyama, and with our third fellow Digidestined, we fought Millenniummon, who had returned by absorbing the data of a Diaboromon clone that had survived Omnimon's battle."

"What?! Millenniummon came back?!" Mimi yelled, remembering the monstrous Digimon.

"Why didn't we get notified about this?!" asked Tai.

"Because Millenniummon had turned all of your Digimon partners into stone statues," DemiVeemon explained, "and Monodramon was the only one to escape and call Ryo."

"I was called in with another kid to help Ryo fight Millenniummon, and I received my own Crest as well," Davis continued before reaching into his shirt and pulling out an object that the original eight, along with Agumon and Gatomon, recognized instantly.

"A Crest!" Joe said, looking closely to see the design of the crest was an "M" with triangles surrounding it.

"The Crest of Miracles, to be exact," said Davis. "And our friend received the Crest of Kindness."

"A question Davis," Izzy said, his gaze drifting down to the blue and white Digivice still plugged into his computer. "Did your Digivice have this design when you received it?"

"No. My Digivice was like yours was when I first got it. For reasons unknown, it changed into that when Veemon Digivolved to his Mega level for the first time."

"Interesting," Izzy said with intrigue. "None of our Digivices underwent a transformation when our partners reached the Mega level. I wonder why yours did?"

"Davis, why did you never tell us?" Sora asked as she looked over to the boy she loved like a brother. "Why did you never tell us that you were a Digidestined, and that you knew who we were?" Davis sighed, having already gone through this with Kari.

"Well firstly, you never told me, and the same for you Tai. Kari wanted to tell me, but you both forbade her from doing so." Tai and Sora flinched slightly under Davis's glare, feeling guilty over keeping it a secret from them, understanding where Davis was coming from.

"Secondly…my experiences in the Digital World weren't exactly well," Davis continued, coming up to the thing he would have trouble talking about, but he breathed deep and continued talking. "During our final battle with Millenniummon…we lost Ryo." This statement elicited gasps of shock from everyone except DemiVeemon.

"Lost…Ryo?" TK whispered in shock.

"You mean…Ryo died?!" Mimi asked, feeling tears in her eyes.

"No…Ryo didn't die…he just got lost." Realizing he needed to elaborate, Davis told them what happened.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"During our final battle, Veemon and our friend's partner Digimon were both down and out, and Justimon was the only one still standing. Our friend was hurt badly by Millenniummon, and Ryo charged at him with Justimon. Justimon gathered all of his energy into one powerful Justice Kick, and he rammed his leg into Millenniummon's chest. When that happened, a dimensional portal was somehow created and Ryo and Justimon were sucked in. When I talked with Gennai…"

"You met Gennai, too?!" interrupted TK, who Davis looked at with a glare.

"Yes, I did, and if you don't mind, I don't want to be interrupted again." TK nodded and let Davis continue.

"I talked with Gennai about it, and he said that Ryo ended up lost between time and space, and he ended up in another dimension."

"Another dimension?" Matt asked skeptically.

"That doesn't sound so far-fetched," Izzy said as he typed on his computer. "If you guys remember, Gennai told us that there were many worlds out there when he helped us get through the gate in Myotismon's castle."

"Yeah, how could I forget that?" Tai asked sarcastically. "The old coot put me in a headlock!"

"Did Gennai say if there was a way to find Ryo?" asked Joe.

"He didn't say," Davis said sadly. "He said that there were so many dimensions he fell into, that it would take a long time to find out which one Ryo landed in." All was quiet as the Digidestined pondered on this information, thinking about their lost friend.

"I can't believe Ryo's in another dimension," Mimi said sadly before looking angry. "He promised me a date!"

"What?!" Gatomon asked, looking at Mimi incredulously. "That's the first thing you say about Ryo?"

"Mimi, he didn't promise you a date, you were the one who asked him out," Izzy said in a matter of fact tone, though he looked like he didn't approve of Mimi going on a date for some other reason.

"And he said he'd look into it!" Mimi replied stubbornly. "So that means he owes me a date! Honestly, if Ryo ever comes back to our dimension, I'm gonna…!"

"All right, take it easy Mimi," Joe said, coming over and placing a hand on Mimi's shoulder. The bearer of Sincerity let out a breath, though she still looked mad.

"Davis, I have a question of my own," said TK. "You said you and Ryo were accompanied by another kid, who had a Digivice, Crest and Digimon partner of his own. What happened to him exactly?" Davis looked hesitant before answering.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"He was injured by Millenniummon in our final battle. We stayed in the Digital World for a few weeks because Millenniummon's presence caused time in the Digital World to be thrown out of alignment with our world. My friend healed up and once time was set back to normal, we went home…and I never heard from him again."

"Hmm…this other Digidestined may live in another part of Japan that prevents him from being here with us," Izzy theorized before asking, "Davis, what was this guy's name?"

"If it's all right with you Izzy, I don't want to say anymore right now," Davis looked down at the ground. "I have my reasons."

"We understand Davis," Kari placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder for some comfort and DemiVeemon leapt up on his lap. "It must have been hard for you."

"Yeah…it was," Davis sighed. Sensing his protégé was done, Tai turned over to the other Digidestined and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"I think you guys should now know what's going on in the Digital World," the bearer of Courage said. "There's a human child with a Digivice taking it over. He calls himself the Digimon Emperor."

"In short, he's a Digidestined like us," Izzy said, causing Matt, Joe and Mimi to look at him like he lost his mind.

"Say what?! A Digidestined taking over the Digital World?!" Matt asked in shock. "That can't be!"

"Evil Digimon, I can understand!" Joe remarked, "But a Digidestined as our enemy? That is wrong on so many levels!"

"We were chosen to protect the Digital World and the Digimon, not conquer it and enslave them!" Mimi said angrily.

"Don't you guys think I know that?!" Izzy retorted. "I highly doubt that whoever this Emperor is, he turned evil of his own free will. It's possible he's been corrupted by an outside force into doing this!"

"That's just sickening, darkness corrupting a fellow Digidestined!" TK said, feeling troubled and angered. The powers of darkness, and evil dark Digimon, had never sat well with him ever since he lost Angemon in a fight with Devimon years ago.

"And what's more is his Digivice looks exactly like Davis's," Tai continued, causing Izzy to look down at the small device before looking at Davis.

"Before you ask, I don't know who the Emperor is, or how he got a Digivice of the same design as mine," Davis said before Izzy could speak. "The Digivice my friend had was exactly like yours." Davis spoke the truth as Ken's Digivice was an old model like Ryo's.

"And it's not just Davis and the Emperor," TK cut in. "Two kids from my apartment building, Yolei Inoue and Cody Hida, also got new Digivices as well!"

"They did?" asked Matt. "What exactly does that mean?"

"I think it means that Davis, Yolei, and Cody are part of a new team of Digidestined…and the Digimon Emperor was supposed to be a part of the team, but he was corrupted."

"And what does that mean for us?" asked Mimi.

"I think we can still help," said Tai, "but it may be difficult because while the Digimon Emperor has Dark Rings that he's using to brainwash and enslave Digimon, he also has these big black towers called Control Spires, and from what our Digimon said, they emit an aura of darkness that prevents them from Digivolving."

"He's enslaving Digimon?!" Mimi cried, suddenly feeling afraid for Palmon's safety. "Is Palmon okay? Why isn't she here?!"

"Because Agumon, Patamon, Gatomon and Veemon were the only Digimon we could find," said Sora, who felt bad about not being able to find Biyomon. "We can only hope that the rest of our Digimon were able to avoid capture."

"Damn it…so there's nothing we can do?" Matt asked angrily.

"Maybe not us," Tai looked over to Davis, "but Davis was able to find way to bypass the Digivolution block. After we got together with our Digimon, we found an object that DemiVeemon called the Digimental. It had the Crest of Courage on it, and while I couldn't lift it, Davis was able to lift it, and Veemon was able to become Flamedramon through something called Armor Digivolution."

"Armor Digivolution?" Izzy inquired, looking curious now.

"Like I said back in the Digital World, Armor Digivolution was a form of Digivolution that Digimon of old were able to access in the ancient days of the Digital World when normal Digivolution was impossible," said DemiVeemon.

"Maybe Davis was able to lift the Digimental of Courage because his Digivice was different from ours," Izzy theorized as he unplugged Davis's Digivice from the computer. "And it's highly possible that when Yolei and Cody get their Digimon partners, they'll be able to receive Digimentals that will enable their Digimon to Armor-Digivolve. If there was a Digimental with the Crest of Courage out there, then it's possible there are ten more Digimentals out there with our Crests on them."

"That's a good theory Izzy, but there's one problem," said Joe. "Where are the other Digimentals and how will we find them?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. But I finished analyzing Davis's Digivice and I found that it has three different functions on it. The first function is 'Digital', which allows the Digimon partner of whoever the Digivice's holder is to Digivolve manually, i.e. if they're not in a fight."

"The second function is Detect, which is a radar that tracks any nearby Digivice signals. That will be handle if any Digidestined get lost and we need to find each other."

"And finally, the last function is 'Discover', which acts as a Digimon Analyzer and dictionary."

"Digital, Detect, and Discover…" TK muttered as Izzy handed Davis's Digivice back to the young goggled boy.

"I figured they should be called the D-3."

"I like that name," said Tai, who then decided to bring up the subject he had been thinking about since dinner. "Before we discuss anything any further, I have something important to say, and I want your opinion on it."

This caught the attention of everyone present. They all knew Tai wasn't one to be so formal, so whatever he had to say must have been important for him to be like this. Taking a deep breath and looking down at the ground, before looking up in the night sky, the brown-haired goggled boy looked at the Digidestined with a determined look.

"Four years ago, when we had our adventures, I acted as the leader of our team. Yes, we all made decisions about what to do, but I usually had the last say when it came down to it. I'm correct, yes?" Once everyone had agreed, with Kari smiling in encouragement, Tai spoke again.

"Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to step up again and take charge of the situation, but there are several things that would make it difficult for me. For starters, Agumon is unable to Digivolve because of these Control Spires the Digimon Emperor has. Secondly, I can't exactly leave school as much as I want to if I want to make my grades, plus my commitment to the soccer team as their captain."

Silence fell over as the Digidestined took in what Tai said. While it certainly didn't feel right about Tai not being able to lead them, they could see his points as like Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Joe and Mimi all had commitments outside of the Digital World, from band practice, medical school, computer club, soccer and cheerleading, which meant they wouldn't be able to help out much. That left Davis, Kari, TK, Yolei and Cody as the main fighting force for the Digital World.

From his place near a tree, TK could only feel frustration as he thought about the problems the Digidestined were facing, especially himself. Being the same age as Kari and Davis, he didn't have many obligations outside the Digital World, but he felt useless as Patamon was unable to Digivolve and his Digivice was a D-3. But he still wanted to help out.

Kari also felt the same problems as TK. Even though Gatomon was a Champion level Digimon, she could only get them through so much before she fell.

"So," Tai's voice pulled everyone out of their thoughts, "that narrows our team down to Davis, Yolei, Cody and Kari, as Davis's partner can Armor Digivolve, Yolei and Cody have the potential to Armor Digivolve their partners when they find them, and Gatomon is a Champion level Digimon."

"Hey, what about me Tai?!" TK asked indignantly, Patamon resting on his head. "I don't have that many obligations outside the Digital World! I can help!"

"TK, I think Tai knows that," Matt said softly as he went up to his younger brother, "but I'm not sure if there's much you could do since Patamon's incapable of Digivolving." TK opened his mouth to argue, but closed it, knowing better than to argue with his older brother.

"Tai, are you suggesting we have one of the four you just mentioned take up the role of the leader?" Izzy asked, immediately catching on to what Tai was saying.

"Yes, I am," said Tai. "And this is just my honest opinion, but I believe Davis is the best, and really, the only candidate for a role like that."

"M…me?" Davis asked, surprised at Tai's declaration. "You want me to be a leader?"

"Yes, and I have very good reasons, so I suggest you hear me out on this," Tai said to everybody. "For starters, Davis has been to the Digital World before, so he knows the ins and outs, as well as taking care of himself. He has experience. TK and Kari have experience as well, but as myself and Matt just pointed out, Patamon can't Digivolve, and Gatomon is a Champion level Digimon, but even she has her limits, and Kari, TK, no offense, but none of you would be able to lead when it comes down to the truly dangerous stuff."

Kari nodded silently, agreeing with everything Tai said. It went against the girl's nature to decide something for someone else in battle without asking. And while TK seemed like a better choice, he lacked a D-3 and, from what she saw from his argument with Davis earlier today, was quick to anger, which definitely wasn't leadership material.

"Well, I agree with Tai," said Sora, who knew Davis, and from what she saw on the soccer field, he was a leader by nature, like Tai. "I think Davis would definitely fit well as the new leader." Kari nodded, looking at Davis with an encouraging smile for him. Davis looked and felt nervous about this new responsibility being thrust upon him, but he swallowed his nervousness and stood up, looking over to his mentor.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"So, let me get this straight: You want me to lead the new team of Digidestined?" Tai nodded before Davis continued. "Let me ask you: How did you guys pick you to be leader, Tai? When I was in the Digital World, it was just the three of us, and Ryo was basically our leader figure. It was just a natural choice, since he had experience in the Digital World beforehand and our third companion was my age, which meant Ryo was the oldest. We never really discussed it, and Ryo never just stated that he was our leader from the beginning, it was just that. Natural." The other Digidestined thought for a moment and realized Davis had a point about the leader of the Digidestined being decided naturally. Tai just wasn't named the leader of their group the moment they entered the Digital World, but he always took charge in times of need, and when he fell into a portal back to the human world and disappeared, they all split up and Tai was the one to get them back together. It wasn't until they returned home that Tai was officially named their leader, but by then, he already was.

"You have a good point there Davis," Matt said. "But to be honest, I have to agree with Tai and Sora naming you leader. You thought about it, and you also took it into consideration when you were making your assessment. That makes you more than suitable to be leader, and you understand the demands of it."

"I have to agree with Matt on that assessment," Izzy added his point of view. He didn't know Davis as well as Tai, Kari and Sora, but from what he saw of him and was told about him, Izzy saw he had what it took to be a leader. Silence descended upon the group after Izzy and Matt given their opinions on the matter. Kari wanted to add her own opinions as well, but didn't feel the need to, as it seemed Joe, Mimi, and TK, though the latter looked somewhat reluctant, agreed with their friends' opinions on Davis being the leader.

For his part, Davis felt like there wasn't much point to this discussion. In his opinion, which was backed up with memories of Ryo leading them whenever needed, a leader wasn't decided by a vote, but by his actions and the support he had from the group he led. He knew Kari would support him, but he wasn't sure of Yolei and Cody. He supposed Cody would support him, but Yolei seemed like another story. He didn't know those two, or the rest of the Digidestined as well as he knew Kari, Tai, Sora, Ken and Ryo, but he could only hope that they would follow him when the time came.

"Well…if it comes down to it, and the others trust my judgment, then I'll accept the position. If we're done discussing leadership, then maybe we should discuss what we should do tomorrow." The others didn't seem to mind, especially Tai and Matt, who grinned big at Davis's words, knowing he was the right choice.

"All right, before we call it a night and head home for sleep, let's recap quickly about our current situation." Davis looked over to Izzy, who nodded and began recapping.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch)

"Our new enemy is a human child that is a corrupted Digidestined with a dark D-3, age unknown. He uses Dark Rings to brainwash Digimon and enslave them, and he also has Control Spires that prevent Digivolution to Champion level and beyond, but they do not prevent Armor Digivolution."

"And I have the Digimental of Courage," Davis added, opening his D-Terminal and showing the Digimental of Courage on the screen to everybody. "And considering that there are ten more Crests – Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliablity, Hope, Light, Miracles, Kindness and Destiny – it's very possible that there are Digimentals that represent those Crests as well."

"And since we still have two unequipped members of our new team, we have to assume Yolei and Cody will each receive their own Digimental, but they may be able to get only one. We don't know about the other ones." Silence fell again as the Digidestined processed this new information from Izzy. If this was true, then which Digimentals went to Cody and Yolei? And what of the other Digimentals? Were there more Digidestined out there with D-3s that they didn't know of yet, capable of having a Digimental of their own.

"Well…if the Digimentals are connected to their Crests, then maybe the person receiving the Digimental should be responsive to the Crest that Digimental represents," Mimi said, surprising everybody.

Izzy's face lit up brightly, realizing that it did make sense. When the Digidestined received their Crests, they needed to display the emotion or trait that Crest represented for it to activate. And adding in the fact that Davis responded to the Digimental of Courage, then what Mimi just said was a very real possibility.

"Mimi, that's actually very clever. I'm impressed." The red-haired computer genius truly was impressed by Mimi's detail.

"Well, what can I say Izzy? I'm just not good looks," Mimi said with a wink to Izzy's direction. Izzy blushed slightly to the surprise of everyone.

"Okay, so let's say Mimi is correct," Gatomon spoke up. "Which Crest would Yolei and Cody each likely respond to?"

"I can't really say," said TK. "I've only just met Yolei and Cody today, so I don't know much about them yet."

"I do know Yolei and Cody," said Izzy. "Yolei used to be my assistant in the computer club. She wasn't exactly as smart as I was, but she was a master with computers."

"What's her personality like?" asked Sora.

"Well…she can be a little strong-headed and stubborn, and she tries to get people to pay attention to her," Izzy said, thinking things over. "But she can mean a lot of what she said, because she meant it when she said she wanted to go to the Digital World today, and she has shown to care for Cody and protect him from any bullies. I've met Cody a few times, and I've seen him have several books. He said he likes to know new things, and he was fascinated when I told him about the Digital World."

"So…what traits would match up to them?" asked Joe.

"Even if we know what traits they match up with," said Davis, "it still doesn't change the fact that we have little to no idea where the Digimentals might be. I think we should change our focus now on what our courses of action will be. One is obviously figuring out the locations of the other Digimentals. The second is figuring out how strong the Digimon Emperor truly is. We don't know enough to come up with an effective counter-strategy, and we can't rule out the possibility of the Emperor having a base of operations in the Digital World."

"I agree with Davis," Tai said, glad to see that Davis was already showing himself to be a good leader. Granted, he would probably screw up in the future, but even Tai had his screw ups, some of which he didn't like to think about…or talk about much.

"So do I," chimed in Izzy. "That's why I say we go back to the Digital World tomorrow. I'm going there because I want to see these Control Spires and Dark Rings myself…plus, I want to find Tentomon."

"I didn't have much luck finding Biyomon today," said Sora, "so that's why I'm going tomorrow as well to find her!"

"As much as I want to help find Gabumon, I can't come," Matt said, looking down sadly. "I have band practice tomorrow. We're preparing for a gig next week."

"And I have a big medical test tomorrow," said Joe despondently, wondering when he would be able to go back and find Gomamon.

"And I have cheerleading practice," added Mimi.

"Plus the boys' soccer team has soccer practice tomorrow as well," added Tai.

"Well, I'm going to the Digital World tomorrow!" TK spoke up. "I don't care if Patamon can Digivolve, I refuse to not be a part of this!"

"So am I," Kari said determinedly. "Gatomon and I will be able to provide some help."

"And it would be best to bring Yolei and Cody along," said Izzy. "If we do come across a Digimental in our travels tomorrow, then we have to see who it belongs to."

"Damn it…" Davis cursed when he heard Tai mention soccer practice. "I just remembered…it's not just Tai's team that has practice tomorrow, it's my team as well. I won't be able to come!" Davis mentally kicked himself for not thinking about this through. As of right now, Davis and Veemon were the strongest fighters next to Gatomon and Kari, and without them there, there was no telling what would happen to the others. Davis breathed for a moment to think it over until he looked over to Izzy and Sora.

"Can I trust you two to look after the others tomorrow while I'm at practice?" Izzy and Sora both nodded to answer Davis's question. "Good. I'll join you the minute practice is over. If you run into trouble, message me immediately and I'll see what I can do about getting out of practice early. Your safety is important to me, more important than soccer." Sora and Izzy both nodded again.

"I'll join up as well once my practice is done as well," said Tai. "Well, if that's all, then I guess this meeting is adjourned." Everybody agreed, as the time was now 9:30, and all the Digidestined really needed to get home and rest for tomorrow. TK decided to sleep over at Matt's place for the night, and would call his mother when he got over there. Izzy and Joe left the park together as they lived in the same apartment complex, Mimi following them close by, her apartment building being close to theirs. Tai, Sora and Kari all walked home together as well, since they lived in the same building. This left Davis alone as he walked off to where Jun was hiding.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare 2)

"You didn't tell them about Ken…or Veemon dying." These were Jun's first words when Davis came back. The child of Miracles sighed sadly, looking down at the ground.

"I didn't think I should tell them yet until Ken responds…plus Veemon's death…still hurts slightly…" Davis did feel better after telling everything to the Digidestined, but he still didn't feel right somehow.

"I'm sure Ken will call you back Davis!" DemiVeemon said happily. "I know he'd be really happy to see Wormmon again after so long!"

"You're right," said Davis, returning the smile before it went down again. "Still…I wonder if I can do this."

"What, this whole leader thing?" Jun asked, walking home with Davis and DemiVeemon.

"Yeah," Davis said uneasily. "I've never been a leader before. Back then, it was Ryo who led, but now it's me. If I want to be a good leader, then I have to be sure if my teammates trust me. I know Kari will always trust and support me, and Cody looks like a good kid that will follow me when it comes to it, but Yolei…I feel like she'll be a bit of a rebel…and I can't help but shake the feeling that TK doesn't trust me, or approve of me as leader."

"Well, they'll have to get used to it," Jun said simply as the Motomiya siblings entered their building and went into the apartment. "I know you'll be able to do it Davis. I mean, you lead your soccer team well."

"That's different," said Davis. "There's a big difference between winning a soccer game, and saving the Digital World."

"Still, just do what you normally do when it comes to soccer, and you'll be a good leader. I know you may screw up…"

"Gee, thanks," Davis said sarcastically with DemiVeemon chuckling.

"…but nobody's perfect Davis. I have faith in you."

"Thanks sis," Davis said, hugging Jun before heading into his bedroom. After changing into his pajamas, Davis checked his email to see if Ken responded. To his disappointment, Ken hadn't sent a message back, but figured he was sleeping. Going over to his bed, which DemiVeemon was already sleeping in, Davis lay down and switched off the lights, entering a deep slumber that, for the first time in many weeks, had no nightmares or terrifying memories of the past.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

Unknown to Davis, Ken was not sleeping. He was wide awake, going through footage of events that happened today in his bedroom. The dark-haired boy glared at the computer screen as he looked at Flamedramon battle the Monochromon. He had received a message from Davis, telling him of problems in the Digital World. He didn't bother answering the message for two reasons: He had cut all ties with Davis after Sam died and he received no word from the goggled boy. Secondly, he was the source of the problems in the Digital World. He was the Digimon Emperor.

'Flamedramon is definitely not as strong as ExVeemon or any of Veemon's other evolved forms…but he's still a problem. If I'm going to make sure Davis is beaten, I may have to resort to other means.' Clicking out of the Flamedramon footage, Ken went through more footage until he came upon some footage of Davis with the brown-haired girl. Clicking on the audio button, Ken heard a name: Kari. The name sparked a memory in Ken's subconscious.

"Kari…she's Davis's best friend. And if I'm correct, Davis cares greatly about this her…" Ken's frown then became an evil smirk as he began thinking of a new plan.

"Let's see how much you care for her, Davis…" he chuckled evilly as he pulled up information on the Digimon he had in his army so far. Whatever he was planning, it would not go well for his old friend.

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 4

 **Don't forget to favorite and review! It would mean a lot to me!**


	5. Chapter 5: Digital Gate, Open!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers Aban)

Returning home from the Digital World, Tai called a Digidestined meeting, where Davis revealed his past with Ken and Ryo. Though he named Ryo, he kept Ken's name to himself. Tai then named Davis the leader of the new team of Digidestined, which include Yolei and Cody, who have D-3s like Davis. Can these new Digidestined live up the standards of their predecessors?

(Play Digimon Tamers Subtitle 2)

Digital Gate, Open!

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

In his bedroom above his parents' bakery in Shinjuku, in his home dimension, Takato Matsuki was picking out clothes to wear for his trip to the Digidestined's home dimension. The young goggle-wearing boy was nervous as he packed his bags. For years, he had been a big fan of the Digimon TV show, and he was especially a fan of Tai Kamiya and Davis Motomiya, as he thought they looked cool and were great leaders, especially with the goggles. He was such a big fan, he created Guilmon through drawings that were brought to life when he received his first D-Arc, and even wore a pair of goggles. He always wished for the TV show to be real so he could always meet them.

With the revelation that his fellow Tamer Ryo was from that dimension, and it was apparently a parallel dimension where Davis was a Digidestined years before the TV show took place, along with the fact that the Tamers would be going there soon, Takato was absolutely excited to finally meet his TV heroes. He was unable to form complete sentences for several hours once Ryo's tale was done. He thought about talking with Tai and Davis about many things, like how they wore goggles and helped lead their teams…

…And that was when the excitement faded from Takato as he thought about it. During his time as a Tamer, he had rarely ever been a leader, and he was never anything like Tai and Davis were. He wore goggles like them, but that was where the similarities ended. What made Tai and Davis leaders was their courage, which was something Takato always felt he lacked, and they always took situations seriously. When Takato first became a Tamer, he was oblivious to the dangers of being a Tamer. All he wanted was to have his own Digimon, and he got one in his creation, Guilmon. But Takato was terrified at first of his own partner, until he realized Guilmon was still basically a child who had to learn. But it didn't change the fact that Takato was fearful of Guilmon's evolved forms of Growlmon and WarGrowlmon when he first saw them, convinced that Guilmon had changed in not just appearance, but personality as well. Fortunately, Takato came to accept that Guilmon would always be the same, no matter what he Digivolved into…except for Megidramon.

Another problem Takato felt he had that Tai and Davis had was being emotional. During his early days, Takato burst into tears very easily whenever Guilmon was in danger or he felt like a failure of a Tamer. He had grown out of that, but he was still concerned over Guilmon from time to time. His concern over Guilmon was different from the other Tamers' concerns for their Digimon, as the bond between them was like a parent and their own child, which really made Takato grow up and mature.

In the last two years, Takato had felt he had grown more mature and braver…but the question was, was he worthy of being regarded in the same principle as Tai and Davis? After that question went through his head several times, Takato decided to go to the only person he knew was suitable enough to answer his question. Closing his dresser drawer, Takato opened his bedroom door to go out in the hall, only to be knocked aside by Guilmon, his arms laden with loaves of bread. Looking out in the hall, the brown-haired boy saw bread loaves behind Guilmon, trailing down the stairs and possibly to the back of the bakery.

"Guilmon, what are you doing with all this bread?"

"I'm packing it, of course!" Guilmon said innocently, placing the bread in his arms into the suitcase on Takato's bed. "We won't be able to get any Guilmon Bread in the dimension we're going to, so we'll have to pack some!" Guilmon Bread was a popular food that was sold at the bakery. An idea that was pitched to Takato's father by Kazu, Guilmon Bread was basically a loaf of bread cooked in the shape of Guilmon's head. Takato's parents had even made bread and pastries shaped like the other Digimon as well. While they sold well, the Guilmon Bread was the most popular product.

"Guilmon, we can't pack all of this bread," Takato said with a sigh, going over to his bed and pulling the bread out of his suitcase, much to Guilmon's protest. "I need clothes as well. Besides, we won't be leaving for another week. If we pack all this bread now, it will grow stale."

"Then why are we packing now?" asked Guilmon, curious why Takato was packing already if they weren't leaving right now.

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared in case the Sovereigns are able to get together earlier," Takato answered, closing the suitcase and placing it next to his desk. "Anyway, let's get going."

"Huh? Are we going now?" asked Guilmon, wondering what Takato was talking about. "Should we pack the bread now?"

"We're not going to the Digital World Guilmon," Takato said, picking up his D-Arc and placing it in his pocket. "We're going to Ryo's house. I need to talk to him."

"About what?" Takato was about to answer Guilmon's question when he heard his mother's voice call to him from downstairs.

"Takato! Did you and Guilmon make this mess of bread downstairs?"

"It was mostly Guilmon, Mom! But we'll clean it up!"

"Please do!" Takato sighed at his mother's insistence, and began picking up the bread Guilmon left behind him, with the big red dinosaur helping him.

"I'm sorry Takatomon," Guilmon said sadly. "I didn't know I made a mess."

"It's all right Guilmon, we can clean it up," Takato responded with a light smile. "And I told you, I'm not a Digimon!"

"I know," Guilmon laughed. "It's just fun calling you that!" Takato groaned, knowing that Tai and Davis definitely didn't have his problems.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

In his house, Ryo was going through his things in his bedroom. Opening his closet, he went deep into it before pulling out a box that he had been in possession of for years. Inside the box were the only things that he had brought with him during his second battle with Millenniummon years ago…and the only things that he had brought with him to the orphanage and later his adoptive home. Opening the box, Ryo combed through the contents, which was mostly pictures. One of them was a picture of him with Tai and the old team, taken after they beat Millenniummon for the first time ever and before they returned home, and a second one was of himself and Monodramon with Ken and Davis, as well as Wormmon and Veemon. Ryo smiled, remembering when this picture was taken.

* * *

FLASHBACK

 _Nine-year old Ken Ichijouji kneeled down in front of a pile of sticks, rubbing two sticks together in an attempt to light up a fire for their temporary campground, but after five minutes, there was no spark._

 _"Come on Ken! I know you can do it!" Wormmon encouraged his partner._

 _"I'm…not sure….if I can!" Ken breathed, rubbing the sticked again with even more force than before. "It looks so easy on the TV!"_

 _"That's because not everything you see on TV is true, or done the right way," Ryo said as he walked into the campground with Monodramon, Davis and Veemon behind him. "Heck, even reality TV shows aren't completely real!"_

 _"What about game shows?" Davis asked curiously._

 _"Eh…sometimes they can be rigged," Ryo said, bending down next to Ken and taking the sticks from him gently. "Here…let me show you guys how to really do it." Reaching into his pack, Ryo pulled out a long, thing string and tied it to one of the sticks, bending it slightly. Placing the string-free stick in the middle of the firewood, Ryo placed the strung up stick between its counterpart, the string pressed up next to it. Rubbing furiously, it took Ryo a few brief moments before a spark happened. A moment later, a roaring fire was blazing, warming up everybody._

 _"Wow! Ryo, that was awesome!"_

 _"It was nothing," Ryo said sheepishly to Davis._

 _"No, seriously!" said Davis, surprised at the way Ryo made a fire easily. "How did you do that?"_

 _"My parents used to camping, and they taught me how to make a fire," Ryo said, stoking the fire a little so it was hot enough to cook the fish they had caught. "It was easy after a few tries. Tents, on the other hand…" Ryo's gaze turned to a massive pile of clothing, rope and sticks, inciting laughter from everyone at the campground._

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"Those were definitely good times, weren't they?" Monodramon asked with a small smile, looking at the pictures over Ryo's shoulder. The Legendary Tamer smiled sadly as he replaced the photos and put the box back in his closet.

"Yeah…they were…it's sad they had to come an end early," Ryo sighed sadly, prompting Monodramon to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey…we can do this Ryo. I know we can. And I'll do my best to keep Millenniummon's data from getting to me."

"Let's hope so," Ryo stood up and began going through his dresser. "We'll already have enough to deal with when we get back home…"

"Hey, Ryo." The brown-haired boy turned around in surprise to see Takato standing outside his bedroom, Guilmon by his side as always.

"Takato! When did you get in here?"

"A minute ago. Your dad let us in." Takato looked nervous about something as he spoke, and Ryo could only begin to wonder what was plaguing Takato's mind this time. "Do you mind if we talk somewhere?"

"Sure. I know a café down the street," Ryo answered, closing his dresser drawer and walking out of his bedroom. A few minutes passed and Takato and Ryo were sitting together in a café, Guilmon and Monodramon sitting with them as well.

"So, what did you want to talk about Takato?" The crimson-eyed boy let out a breath before asking his question.

"Ryo…when you were in the Digital World with the Digidestined…was Tai…like he was in the show? And the Davis you fought with…he was different from his TV show counterpart, yes? What was he like?" Ryo blinked in surprise at the question.

"Why are you asking me this?" Takato hesitated before he answered.

"Because…I don't know if I've been worthy of wearing goggles like them." Takato's statement caught Ryo off-guard. Seeing the look of surprise on Ryo's face, Takato decided to explain.

(Play Digimon: Across the tears)

"I look at Tai and Davis…and I can see how they don't back down, even when they're afraid. They seem to know what they're doing…and they keep their emotions in check. Compared to them…I've been doing this for two years now and I still don't think I know it all to being a Tamer yet, and I usually get emotional and cry a lot. I know I've been better at it…but I act so differently from Tai and Davis, that sometimes, I wonder if I should wear goggles or not. And a part of me would want to impress them when I meet them…because I'm still a fan deep down. A fan who created his own Digimon." Takato looked off to the side where Monodramon was trying to keep Guilmon from eating the pies on the dessert case.

'Wow. I didn't know Takato felt that way,' Ryo thought. The older Tamer wondered what to say for a minute before it came to him.

"Takato." The goggled boy looked up at the Legendary Tamer. "You are right when you say that you are different from Tai and Davis. Davis…he was a little bit like he was in the show, but he grew up and matured…and he was able to prove himself to be a leader. He was able to lead when I couldn't. And Tai…well, Tai is Tai." Takato chuckled at Ryo's comment.

"The point is Takato, it's not a bad thing to be different," Ryo continued, gripping Takato's shoulder. "And it's like you said, you've grown up and you've matured ever since you became a Tamer. You are your own person, and you shouldn't change just to impress Tai or Davis. Take it from me, they would be incredibly impressed…and they would be proud of you."

"Thanks," Takato said, surprised with the praise Ryo was giving him.

"Besides, I've seen you out there when we fight," continued Ryo. "There are times when you've proven yourself to be a leader. It's just simple: Everyone seems pulled by you."

"They…they do?"

"Of course they do," said Ryo, looking at Takato's surprised expression. "Takato…you can be a leader. You just need to be who you are, and not change yourself. Tai and Davis are their own selves when they lead…and that's all you need to be." Takto couldn't help but blush at Ryo's compliments and praises.

"Thanks man…" the young boy said, feeling better about himself, as well as more confident.

"Hey Takato! Guilmon's got a belly ache."

"What?!" Takato yelled, looking over to Monodramon. "Please tell me he didn't eat the dessert case."

"No, he went into the bathroom and ate the hand soap," said Monodramon. "He said it smelled good, so that meant it had to have been food."

"Oh, Guilmon!" Takato groaned, eliciting laughter from Ryo and Monodramon.

"He's definitely not like Tai and Davis," Monodramon said as Takato pulled Guilmon out of the restroom and out of the café, no doubt taking him home to take care of his bellyache.

"And that's what makes him a good Tamer," Ryo said as he looked up at the night sky through the window, wondering how Davis and Tai were doing right now, and what they were planning.

* * *

A dimension away, Izzy sat in the empty computer lab of the school, sitting in front of a specific computer. The minute school ended, the red-haired boy went to the computer lab and checked every terminal and hard drive, discovering that the Digital Gate could only be accessed on the computer they used yesterday. He leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin in thought. The gate was locked, and no matter how many times he held up his Digivice in front of the screen, the gate remained closed. This made him think for a while of how they could enter the Digital World until it came to him.

'The D-3s…they must be capable of opening the Digital Gate. We'll have to wait and see until Yolei and Cody get in here.' Izzy then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and began typing what was on the paper into the Digital Gate program. Written on the paper was a set of coordinates that Davis had given him a few minutes ago before heading off to soccer practice. The burgundy-haired boy had woken up early today and did a sweep of the Digital World's map with DemiVeemon on his D-3, eventually finding a safe place for Izzy to go to with his group today. He couldn't help but grin about Davis's quick thinking. His only hope was to find Tentomon today.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Tanoshii Houkago)

Izzy was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door slide open. Looking up, he saw Yolei and Cody come in. "Oh, Yolei, Cody, hello. Sorry if I came in like this. I was just worried after yesterday."

"It's no problem Izzy," said Cody. "To be honest, Yolei and I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Digital World since last night. We didn't sleep much."

"Anyway Izzy, we were wondering if you could please take us to the Digital World?" Yolei asked as she looked very close to bouncing on her feet. "I really want to go!"

"So do I," said Cody.

"No problem," Izzy said as he looked at the screen. "To be honest, I was expecting you two to show up. We just have to wait for Sora to show up with TK and Kari, and then we'll be ready to go."

"Sorry we're late, Izzy!" Sora said as she came into the room with Kari and TK behind her, Gatomon and Patamon in the latter two's arms.

"No problem Sora," Izzy said as he turned his attention back to the computer. "Let me just double check these coordinates here, and then we'll be ready to go."

"Oh, please hurry up!" Yolei said, almost impatiently. She had been wanting to go into the Digital World for nearly an entire day now, and she couldn't stop thinking about it, even telling her siblings that she would be able to do something that they wouldn't be able to do. Of course, she didn't mention anything about the Digimon.

As Izzy typed, Kari looked over to TK, who seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her. She didn't know why, but TK had been behaving strange all day. He hadn't been smiling much today, he didn't speak much to her or Davis, and his face seemed to have some sort of dark scowl.

TK didn't know why, but he had been feeling strange today in his stomach, and it definitely wasn't what he ate. He had been feeling this way since he walked to school and saw Davis and Kari talking with each other, as well has hugging. And they didn't seem to notice him much in class today.

'Well…so much was I worth to them,' he thought bitterly.

"So do you have the coordinates set in, Izzy?" Sora asked, looking over Izzy's shoulder.

"I do, but the gate's closed," Izzy said before looking over to Yolei and Cody. "This is where you two come in. Both of your Digivices are exactly like Davis's, and if my theory is correct…could one of you hold your D-3 up in front of the screen and say, 'Digital Gate, Open'?"

"Let me do it!" Yolei yelled excitedly, pushing past Cody and holding her D-3 up in the air. Yelling out the words Izzy told her to say, the red light on the screen turned green, indicating the Digital Gate was now open.

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed. "Just as I thought, the D-3s are capable of opening the gate!"

"So does that mean we're going?" asked Cody. He was excited as well as Yolei, but he didn't show it as much as his older friend.

"Yes, we are," said Izzy. "Davis was able to give me some coordinates that we can go to, so if we can all get together." The Digidestined in the room nodded as they gathered up to enter the gate. However, before anyone could enter the Digital World, TK walked up to the computer with an uncharacteristic rebellious look in his eyes. To everybody's shock, TK began typing away on the computer keyboard.

"What the…TK, what the hell are you doing?!" Izzy yelled in protest as TK finished typing and pulled out his Digivice while holding Patamon in one arm.

"Who does Davis think he is, telling us what do to when he's not even here? Let's go somewhere of our own choice," the blond-haired boy said with a hint of venom, surprising everyone at his actions. The screen flashed and TK and Patmon disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked, just as surprised as everyone. Kari shared Sora's surprise as well. Both of them knew TK well, and he was always well mannered, as well as kind and cheerful. But the TK they just saw looked like a completely different person.

"TK's never acted like that before," Izzy muttered in anger. It had taken him ten minutes to find the coordinates Davis gave him, and TK's impulsive actions flushed it all down the toilet in a matter of seconds. "Kari, what's with him?"

"I…I don't know," Kari said nervously. "He…he hasn't been right throughout most of today." Although now that Kari thought about it, he had been quite different since yesterday when they went into the Digital World.

"Are you sure TK's not always like this?" Cody asked curiously, Yolei wondering the same thing as well. From what they saw of their initial impressions of TK, he seemed like a nice boy who wouldn't do rash and impulsive decisions like this.

"I'm definitely sure," Sora said in concern.

"Eh, it could be puberty," Yolei shrugged.

"Well, either way, we shouldn't leave TK alone," Izzy said, holding up his Digivice and entering the Digital World. Yolei followed, as well as Cody. Sora was the next to go when she saw Kari opening her D-Terminal.

"Kari, what are you doing?"

"Sending the new coordinates to Davis," answered the child of Light, looking at the screen. "He told me to message him and Tai if anything went wrong."

"This definitely qualifies as something wrong," Gatomon agreed, not used to seeing TK like this. Once Kari had sent the message to Davis, the brown-haired girl entered the Digital World with Sora and Gatomon, hoping that soccer practice wouldn't last long.

* * *

Davis ran across the field in his soccer jersey, watching the ball fly into the air. Timing the trajectory of the ball, Davis leapt up and hit the ball with his head, sending it to another player. Weaving his way past a defender, Davis got the ball back from his teammate, who was surrounded by two more defenders, and headed for the goal while dodging the other players. Letting his instincts take over, Davis kicked the ball with everything he had. However, Davis's mind was on the Digital World as well, so his aim was off and the ball flew off to the side.

"Damn it…" Davis muttered under his breath.

"Motomiya! Over here!" Sighing, Davis ran over to the bench his coach was at.

"Yes, coach?" he asked once he reached the bench.

"Are you okay? Your aim's been completely off today, and you don't seem like yourself," the coach said, worry etched in his voice. That had been true as Davis had only scored three of eight goals he made today. He couldn't exactly help it as he was thinking about Yolei and Cody. This would be their first outing in the Digital World, and based on what he saw, they obviously had something like Disneyland running through their minds when they thought about the Digital World. If that was it, they were going to be in for an absolute shock. He felt okay knowing Kari, Sora, Izzy and TK would be there, but he felt it would be better if he was there. As much as he loved soccer…his friends and the Digital World were more important today, and he honestly wanted to be there right now.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"I'm sorry coach, but I guess my head is out of the game right now. I have some…personal matters that have been worrying me for a while, and I can't seem to shake them off." While Davis wasn't telling the full truth, it still wasn't a lie. Even though he couldn't tell anyone about the Digital World, he did have school to think about, as well as his friends, especially Kari and Ken, the latter who had yet to respond to Davis's message from last night.

"Ah…I see where you're coming from," the coach said, nodding in understanding. "I've had those problems as well. If you can't seem to shake them off, then maybe it would be best if you leave practice early today."

"Wait, really?!" Davis asked in surprise. "I…I'm not sure if that's a good idea coach. I'm the captain, aren't I?"

"Yes, but I want you at your best," said the coach. "Go home, get some rest and come back to the next practice with your head in the game."

"I will! Thank you!" Davis said, running off the pitch and heading to the locker room, where DemiVeemon was with his bag, as well as Agumon.

"Davis?" The burgundy haired boy entered the locker room and was surprised to see Tai there, changing into his school uniform as Agumon sat in a locker with DemiVeemon. "What are you doing up here? I thought your practice was still going on."

"I could say the same thing to you," Tai countered. "But if you must know, two of our players had a nasty collision and ended up with massive concussions. The coach had to call of practice because of that."

"Ouch," Davis hissed, wincing at Tai's tale.

"So what happened at your practice?" asked Tai, surprised to see Davis in the locker room. It definitely wasn't like his protégé to never miss a practice, even if he had a broken limb.

"I can't stop thinking about something possibly going wrong in the Digital World," Davis confessed. "I passed it off as personal problems and the coach let me off since he understood."

"Yeah…I am worried a little bit about the others, but I trust that they know what they're doing."

"I certainly hope you're not talking about everyone, because I'm certainly not thinking about Yolei and Cody," Davis said, pulling off his cleats and soccer socks, stuffing them into his bag. "It's their first time in the Digital World, after all. I know I gave Izzy coordinates to the least dangerous place DemiVeemon and I could find on the map, but…one never knows. I learned that from Ryo."

"He always was a cautious one…" Tai said with a nod, getting agreements from Agumon and DemiVeemon.

"And what's more is the way Yolei and Cody are handling the situation," said Davis. "I explained the dangers to them, but I'm not sure if they'll take them seriously. Well…it's not so much Cody I'm worried about as it is with Yolei."

"What about her?" asked Tai.

"I don't think Yolei's taking this seriously at all," Davis said, looking up to his mentor. "The first thing she asked about the Digital World is if it was a video game, or an amusement park. She thinks it's like Disneyland! As for Cody…he seems to understand the dangers…but he's the same age I was when I first entered the Digital World…"

"Plus they don't have their Digimon yet," said DemiVeemon, bringing up a good point.

"Well, they'll realize soon that the Digital World isn't to be taken lightly," Agumon said to the group. "And they'll need to be serious about this."

"I'm sure they will," Tai reassured his partner. "I definitely trust the others with looking after them…"

"…especially Sora?" Davis asked in a teasing tone, finishing his clothes changing. Tai blushed fiercely at this remark.

"Y-yeah, even Sora," the brown-haired boy stuttered, getting laughs from everyone else. The laughter suddenly died when a beeping noise from Davis's backpack caught everybody's attention. Davis pulled out his D-Terminal, the source of the beeping, and opened it to look at the message. His eyes were narrowed as he read, before widening with shock and anger.

"Aw, no…dammit!" the burgundy-haired boy cursed, grabbing DemiVeemon and his bags before running out the locker room. Tai and Agumon looked at each other in concern, before running after the duo of Miracles.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"Davis, what's wrong?" Tai asked. Davis said nothing until they reached the computer lab, where Davis brought up the Digital Gate program, cursing again when he saw the coordinates punched in.

"I'll tell you what's wrong: TK went and changed the coordinates I gave Izzy!" Davis gave the D-Terminal to Tai, who looked at the message, surprised at what he saw.

"Are you sure this is correct, Davis? _TK_ changed the coordinates?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Davis muttered as he began typing in the coordinates he originally gave Davis. "I figured it would have been Yolei, giving her exuberance…dammit, I gave those coordinates to Izzy for a reason! Not only was the area safe, but DemiVeemon and I managed to get in contact with Biyomon and Tentomon early this morning, and told them the group was coming! That would have provided a little extra protection!"

"Then that means we'll have to get Biyomon and Tentomon first before heading to the new area," Agumon guessed, getting a nod from Davis. Tai was still surprised about what he read in the message. He knew TK to be a good kid who never had problems following orders, so to hear him do something like this shocked him.

"All right, the coordinates are punched in!" Davis and Tai held up their Digivices and allowed the Digital Gate to suck them in, along with their partner Digimon.

* * *

"Wow," Cody said in astonishment as he looked around at his surroundings. "So this is the Digital World…" The area TK had brought the Digidestined to was a wide open valley of knee-high grass.

"That's weird," Yolei said, looking around as well. "I figured there would be…much more to it."

"Well, this is only part of it," said Sora. "There's a whole world out there to explore!"

"But it would be wise to be cautious," said Izzy. "This is your first time here, so stay close to us."

"We will Izzy," Cody said, taking in the strange plants and trees he saw.

"Well, what are we standing around here for? Let's find something to do!" said TK, who sounded cheerful again after taking the trip. As the Digidestined walked, Kari took some time to take in the scenery as well. It was moments like these, being in the Digital World with her friends, that she cherished forever. However…she felt like something…no, someone…was missing. And Gatomon could sense it.

"Kari, is something wrong?" Gatomon asked, looking up at her partner's faraway look.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sunshine Smile ~Hikari no Theme~#2)

"Well…" Kari said as she looked over to make sure the others were out of earshot before she spoke. "I just wish Davis was here right now instead of at soccer practice. I don't know why, but whenever Davis is around, I feel like I'm at peace, you know? It's like the feeling I get whenever Tai's around…that everything's going to be all right…but, different."

"Probably because Tai's your brother, and from what you've told me last night, Davis has been your best friend for six years," Gatomon remarked. "Still, it sounds like you don't think Izzy and Sora can handle things in their absence."

"No, I'm not doubting them at all," Kari said quickly. "I trust both Sora and Izzy…but Davis is different. I trust him so much." This was true. Kari had known Davis for so long, she felt she could always count on him. When she was with Davis, she could be herself…which was different whenever she was with Tai or someone else.

As the group traveled through the field, they remained oblivious to a dark ring hovering over them, monitoring their actions…as well as Kari and Gatomon's conversation.

* * *

In his monitor room, the Digimon Emperor watched as the Digidestined trudged through the valley, but his attention was mostly set on Kari, who he had heard talk about her friendship with Davis.

"So Kari _does_ care greatly about Davis," he said with an evil smirk. "Let's see if Davis cares greatly about her to surrender. Snimon, go!"

'Oh, dear…' the caterpillar Digimon thought as he watched the screens with worry.

* * *

As the Digidestined walked through the valley, they began talking amongst themselves. Cody, who wanted to know more about the Digital World and its inhabitants began a talk with Izzy, whose theories on the Digital World interested the younger boy to a great degree. Yolei was speaking loudly to herself about things such as the sky looking bizarre and the trees and plants being different from plants and trees on Earth. TK kept quiet, keeping his own thoughts to himself as Sora called out for Biyomon occasionally, hoping her Digimon partner was somewhere around this area. Kari remained quiet, not minding the scenery at all, until one of Yolei's comments caught her ear.

"Look at this place! Davis was going on and on about the Digital World being dangerous, but look! I don't see any danger here whatsoever! I bet Davis was just being false about all of that, since he wouldn't back up what he said. He's just like most soccer players: All talk, and no action!"

"Yolei, I really think we shouldn't talk about Davis like that," Sora said sternly as she took a break from calling for Biyomon.

"Oh, please Sora! It's not like that loudmouth is here, isn't he?" Though the comment was mean, TK couldn't help but chuckle for some reason. Kari, on the other hand, found nothing funny about what Yolei said. Feeling a foreign sensation inside of her, the otherwise calm and cheerful girl stormed over to Yolei, whirled her around, and slapped her in the face, causing everybody to gasp in complete shock. Ordinarily, Kari would have let it slide and do nothing, but Yolei was openly mocking and insulting Davis, her very best friend, and she didn't like it one bit.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"If you know what is good for you Yolei, then you should shut up right now about things you know nothing about! You've only been in the Digital World for five minutes, you have no Digimon partner, and you honestly think you know better than Davis, who happens to be our leader with three years of experience under his belt?! GROW UP!"

Silence descended upon the group as they stared at the two girls in shock. TK and Izzy in particular were very shocked at Kari's behavior and outburst, while Yolei was absolutely surprised that someone had not only spoken back to her, but actually struck her across the face. Cody's expression was unreadable, but he could tell a confrontation was likely to happen. Sora, on the other hand, understood Kari's outburst as she was quite protective of her friends and never like it when someone spoke ill about them. But it was the slap to Yolei that really shocked Sora, as Kari was never usually one to descend to physical violence.

"Geez, what's with you today Kari?" asked TK, who felt the strange, cold feeling from before flare up again. What was it, exactly, he wondered? And why was Kari standing up for Davis when he wasn't even here? "She was just joking."

"Joking?!" Kari yelled, whirling around and glaring at TK. "The dangers of the Digital World, as well as someone's safety, is no laughing matter! And don't get me started on what you did!" Kari really hated arguing, especially with TK, one of her oldest friends, but TK had defied and insulted her very best friend twice in one day, first by changing the coordinates, and second by laughing along with Yolei's insults, and Kari was not going to let it slide.

"Kari, TK, please calm down!" Cody beseeched the older kids. "Izzy said that the Digidestined are supposed to be a team! I highly doubt arguing amongst ourselves, as well as insulting and defying our friends, is right for the team!"

"I agree with Cody," said Izzy, who knew a team split up was doomed to failure, being the smartest, and was impressed with Cody stopping the argument.

"They're right, you know," Sora said sternly. "I don't approve of what you said about Davis Yolei, and I don't know what possessed you to change Davis's coordinates like that TK, but we can argue later."

"Yeah, what's gotten into you TK?" Patamon asked, looking at his partner with slight worry. "This definitely isn't like you." TK wanted to answer, but he couldn't as even he had no idea what this feeling was inside of him whenever he thought of Davis or when somebody talked about him. It felt cold, clammy, and somewhat…mean. Before anyone could speak again, two beeping noises came from Cody and Yolei's D-3s.

"What the…what's going on?" Yolei asked, her argument with Kari going away as she looked at her D-3, seeing a blinking red dot in the middle of the screen.

"I don't know," Cody said as he looked at his own D-3, the screen flashing a yellow dot. Izzy looked down and it came to him in an instant.

"It's the radar function in your Digivice," the red-haired boy said. "They must be detecting something."

"But what could it be?" asked Kari. Gatomon spoke up, having an idea.

"Perhaps their D-3s are detecting their partner Digimon nearby," said the white cat, getting everybody to look at her.

"Hmm…possibly." Izzy pulled out his old yellow and white laptop, the same one he used in his original adventures years ago, out of his bag and opened it up.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch ~Koshiro no Theme~)

"Wow. You actually still have that old gizmo?" Sora asked with a teasing smile.

"Hey, I keep it for sentimental value," Izzy chuckled, motioning for Cody's D-3. Plugging it into his computer, Izzy saw the signal was coming twenty miles away. Izzy then plugged Yolei's D-3 in, and was surprised to see the signal was also coming twenty miles away.

"It appears the signals are both in the same place," the computer genius theorized as he unplugged and handed Yolei's D-3 back to its owner, and put back his computer.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Yolei asked excitedly. "Let's go get my partner!" Before anyone could move, a dark shadow descended upon the group. Looking up, the Digidestined were greeted with the sight of a monstrous green praying mantis with a Dark Ring around its waist dropping down from the sky, his giant black blades outstretched.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Teki no Wana da, Ki o Tsukero!)

"It's Snimon!" Sora gasped, recognizing the Digimon from Myotismon's attack on Odaiba. Izzy, TK and Kari braced themselves while Cody stared at the Digimon in complete surprise. Yolei's eyes almost popped out of her head as she let out a glass-piercing shriek that could be heard across the valley.

Releasing a buzzing shriek, Snimon swooped down on Sora, but the red-haired girl managed to dive into the grass to avoid decapitation.

Still craving blood, Snimon flew back up before turning around to attack again. Patamon and Gatomon, the only Digimon available, quickly acted.

"AIR SHOT!"

"LIGHTNING PAW!"

Snimon managed to evade Patamon's attack, but Gatomon's hit true as the white cat's paw rammed into the green insect's face, knocking him out of the sky.

"Amazing!" Cody gasped upon seeing Gatomon's strength. Despite being in danger, the young boy couldn't help but be amazed at the battle before him. "How did she do that when she's so small?"

"Gatomon is a Champion level Digimon like Snimon," Izzy answered as Gatomon landed next to Kari. "Her power is greater than it looks."

"We're definitely not safe here," Gatomon said as Snimon stood back up and advanced for the Digidestined. "Everyone, get into the forest! I'll hold off Snimon!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kira)

Before anyone could start running, the ground underneath them began shaking like crazy before cracking apart at Kari and Gatomon's feet, causing the duo of Light to fall into the crevice with a scream. Yolei almost fell in as well, but Sora acted fast, grabbing the girl and pulling her away from the hole.

"Kari!" TK screamed as he ran over to the edge of the crevice to see Kari clinging on to a rock sticking out of the wall with one hand. Gatomon was by her side, sticking her claws deep into the crevice wall to prevent herself from falling further.

"Kari, hang on!" TK extended his hand out for Kari to take. "Take my hand!" Kari struggled to reach, but the earth shook again as a Drimogemon, a purple-furred mole Digimon with a giant drill for a nose, and a Dark Ring on his leg, appeared out of the crevice. Reaching out with a massive paw, Drimogemon brought it down on Kari and Gatomon, dragging them into the darkness of the crevice.

"Kari!" TK and Sora, who had run over with Patamon, screamed as they saw Kari's capture.

"Heads up!" yelled Izzy. "We've got company!" The trees near the Digidestined were pushed out of the ground as a Mojyamon, a Digimon looking like the Yeti, stomped into the valley, a Dark Ring around his left arm. Sensing the threat and the need to protect his partner and friends, Patamon took flight and fired his Air Shot again, but the attack had no effect as Mojyamon yelled out, "BONE BOOMERANG!" throwing a curved bone in the air. Patamon attempted to fly out of the way, but Mojyamon's reflexes were too fast and the little winged Digimon was knocked out of the sky.

Yolei, who was already shaken up from seeing Snimon's attack nearly take Sora's head off, as well as nearly falling into a giant hole and being captured like Kari and Gatomon, fell to her knees as Mojyamon and Snimon advanced for them.

"Darn it! There has to be some way out of here!" Cody yelled, looking around for any possible escape route. But there were none. They were trapped. And they would die.

"NO MORE!" Yolei screamed as tears fell down her face. "I WANT TO GO HOME! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANTED!"

"TWIN SICKLES!" Snimon roared, slashing his blades in the air and releasing dark purple energy blades at the Digidestined.

"YOLEI! CODY! RUN AWAY!" Izzy yelled, realizing Snimon's attack was heading right for the two new Digidestined. Cody saw the attack coming and began pulling on Yolei's arm in an attempt to get her to move.

"Yolei, come on! We can't stay here!" But Yolei simply ignored the young boy as she stared in shock at the attack coming right for her…

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

"SUPER SHOCKER!"

Suddenly, a tornado of green flames and a blast of electricity flew from out of the forest, colliding with Snimon's attack and destroying it. Shocked and confused, Snimon and the Digidestined turned to see a pink bird and a red insect fly out of the forest. These Digimon were ones that Izzy, Sora and TK recognized immediately.

"Sora!"

"Izzy!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

Biyomon and Tentomon flew out of the sky and into their partners' arms, engulfing them in big hugs. The bearers of Love and Knowledge could only laugh in joy upon seeing their Digimon again.

"Biyomon!"

"Tentomon! Where did you come from?"

"We came with them!" Tentomon answered, pointing into the forest where a flash of orange light appeared, moving closer at breakneck speed.

"FIRE ROCKET!" A flaming projectile flew out of the forest and collided with the Dark Ring on Snimon's waist, breaking it upon impact and freeing Snimon from the Emperor's control. Confused at his surroundings, Snimon immediately flew away. The flaming projectile landed on the ground in front of Mojyamon, the flames fading away to reveal Flamedramon. Mojyamon growled at the new intruder and produced an icicle in his hands.

"ICICLE ROD!" the Yeti Digimon roared as he threw it at Flamedramon, who simply smirked at the attack.

"Fire against ice, buddy. Guess who wins?" Flamedramon managed to grab the icicle in his hands, igniting his claws in flames that melted the icicle into water. "FLAMING FIST!" Thrusting his arm forward, Flamedramon shot his fireballs at Mojyamon. The white-furred Digimon roared as the flames engulfed him and shattered the Dark Ring on his left arm. The flames soon dispersed and Mojyamon fell to the ground lifeless. Cody and Yolei could only stare in shock as Flamedramon glowed brightly and reverted to Veemon.

"Is he…dead?" Cody asked hesitantly, looking at Mojyamon's unmoving form.

"No. If he was dead, he would have burst into data by now," answered Tentomon. "It's possible that attack knocked him out."

"Good work, Veemon!" a familiar voice rang out. The Digidestined turned to see Davis, Tai and Agumon running towards them. Despite the cheery tone Davis had in his voice while praising Veemon, the upset look on his face said differently. Tai's face had the same upset look, and Izzy quickly figured out why. Both goggled boys looked over at the group of Digidestined. Sora was busy trying to comfort Yolei, who was still crying, a terrified expression on her face. Izzy was also comforting Cody, though the young boy wasn't as shaken up as Yolei. Tai and Davis then both looked at TK, glaring at him angrily. Despite his calm nature, TK couldn't help but feel uneasy under their gazes.

"Where's Kari?" Davis was the first to ask. Everybody hesitated to answer for a minute before Cody answered.

"She fell into that hole with Gatomon, and a giant mole Digimon grabbed them and pulled them under."

"Then that must mean they've been captured by the Digimon Emperor!" Biyomon cried worriedly.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Davis yelled as Tai shook in anger, his hands balling into fists. Kari was the most important person in both the leaders' lives, and the fact that they had been unable to prevent her from being kidnapped was eating away at both of them. Gritting his teeth in anger, Davis whirled around and glared at TK, who felt his blood run cold at the glare. Davis stomped over at TK, pure rage in his eyes. The blond-haired boy attempted to back away, but Davis was too fast and a moment later, TK was slammed into the back of a tree by Davis, who had him by the collar of his shirt.

"This…all of this…THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Davis screamed in anger. "You're the one who switched the portals! You're the reason Kari and Gatomon are prisoners now!" TK could say nothing as he suddenly felt afraid in Davis's grip. The burgundy-haired boy shook in anger.

"Well, if you had been here, this wouldn't have happened!" This was obviously the wrong thing for TK to say as Davis looked even more angry than before.

"Excuse me?! I'm not the one who…!"

"Davis, that's enough!" Tai yelled, pulling Davis off of TK, the latter slumping down on his bottom. "Don't do this right now!"

"How can you be calm when Kari's been captured?!" Davis asked. "That's your sister!"

"What makes you think I'm calm?!" retorted Tai. "I'm mad as Hell that this happened. And by the way TK, don't think we're not going to have a talk about this!" TK could only look down in guilt.

"But we need to keep it together for Kari's sake!" the older boy continued, placing his hands on Davis's shoulders in a firm grip. " _You_ need to keep it together. I know you can do this, Davis." Davis took several deep breaths and realized Tai was right. If they were going to have any chance to rescue Kari and Gatomon, then he, the leader, needed to stay calm, and keep it in check.

"You're right Tai." Davis then turned to the rest of the Digidestined. "All right. Our priority is to rescue Kari now. If we follow the tunnel that Drimogemon made…"

"Davis, hold on!" Cody cut off the leader. "Before we go rescue Kari, Yolei and I need to find our Digimon."

"What?" asked a confused Davis. Cody pulled out his D-3 and showed the blinking yellow light to Davis.

"Yolei's D-3 has a red light on it," Cody explained, looking over to the still-hysterical girl. "Izzy did a scan and both of our Digimon are together, twenty miles from here." Davis took the D-3 and looked at the blinking yellow light and asked, "Are you sure it's your partner?"

"Possibly," said Cody. "If Yolei and I get our Digimon, then maybe we can have a better chance of rescuing Kari and Gatomon."

"He's right," said Izzy. "There may also be a chance that we'll find Digimentals for Cody and Yolei as well as their Digimon partners. That means two more Armor-level Digimon…"

"…which will be beneficial as we can't Digivolve," finished Tentomon. Realizing that Cody and Izzy had good points, Davis nodded before looking over to Tai, who nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Then let's get going then," suggested Izzy. The sound of crying got everybody's attention, and they all looked to see Yolei was still crying, and from her breathing, she was hyperventilating now.

"It looks like Yolei's gone in absolute shock," Izzy said, looking down at the fear-stricken look on her face.

"I warned her," Davis said indifferently. "I warned her the Digital World wasn't to be taken lightly. Now she knows." Davis went over and shook Yolei's shoulder to get her attention. Yolei didn't seem to notice as she shivered and cried. She wanted to be home right now with her family. She wanted to be in her warm bed and think that this was all a dream. She wanted…

SMACK!

Yolei gasped as she felt her face be slapped again, but this one was much harder and louder than Kari's. Holding her sore cheek in one hand, Yolei looked up to see the person who had slapped her: Sora, her hand reddening from delivering said slap.

"What was that?" Cody asked, surprised that Yolei had been slapped twice now in one day.

"That was Sora's 'wake-up' slap," Tai said, wincing slightly. "It can be very hard…and effective."

"Tell me about it," Davis said. The 'wake-up' slap was something Sora often gave to her friends if they were feeling absolutely down, or if they were unresponsive.

"If you're done crying Yolei, then we need to get going," Sora said to the lavender-haired girl, who looked shocked at receiving two slaps in one day. "We need to get you to your Digimon partner so we can save Kari and Gatomon."

(Play Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"There'll be time to cry later," Davis said as he went over to Yolei. "But do you understand now how dangerous the Digital World can be? Like I said yesterday: This isn't some theme park, and it sure as hell ain't no video game. I should know." Davis lifted his shirt up to reveal his scar, causing both Yolei and Cody to gasp in horror.

"Did a…a Digimon…do that?" Yolei asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," Davis pulled his shirt back down. "Do you understand now?" If Yolei didn't understand before, she certainly did now. This was very much real.

"I…I do…and I'm sorry for not taking this seriously before."

"The point is Yolei…you understand it now," Sora said, pulling Yolei to her feet. "Now come on. Let's get you your partner!"

"The Digivices pointed in that direction," Cody said to Davis, pointing north.

"Good. Lead the way Cody." The brown-haired boy nodded and began leading the way with Davis right behind him. As the Digidestined began walking away, Tai quickly pulled TK off to the side and looked at him with a glare.

"Listen to me right now, TK. I am very disappointed with you and your actions. I don't know what you have against Davis…but I don't care right now. He is as much a Digidestined as you are and as much as I am…and not to mention he's the leader. And a team is supposed to stick together. Do you understand?" Hearing Tai, who he always considered an older brother figure whenever Matt was not around, chastise him like this made TK feel even more guilty. The blond-haired boy could only nod, looking down at his feet.

"Good," Tai said with a nod before walking off with Agumon. Patamon flew over and landed on TK's shoulder, worry on his face.

"TK…what's wrong?" The child of Hope said nothing as he trudged behind the group. He barely noticed Cody and Davis leading the group to the signals, or Sora still comforting Yolei while apologizing for slapping her. He was lost in his thoughts as he thought about what he said and did regarding Davis. Perhaps he had been harsh but he couldn't help it. For some reason, ever since yesterday, some strange feeling had been bubbling up inside him whenever he saw Davis, especially when he was with Kari. He had been told about Davis and Kari being best friends for years, and how much they cared for each other greatly. He had thought it would be him Kari would be hanging out with and talking when he moved back to Odaiba.

He suddenly stopped short when he realized the feeling inside himself. The feeling was jealousy. He was jealous of the strong bond of friendship between Davis and Kari, jealous that Kari would talk all the time about Davis, and not him. He sighed as he thought back to when he was told that Davis had given them coordinates to go to, and he changed them out of jealousy, thinking Davis has no right to tell them where to go when he wasn't even with them. And his jealous actions led to Kari being captured, a prisoner of the Digimon Emperor. And it was all his fault. Davis had done nothing wrong. He was Kari's best friend, and yet that was enough to earn the goggled boy the bearer of Hope's hate. How was that fair? He also realized that he was jealous of not being able to do much since this began, since Patamon was unable to Digivolve and he didn't have a D-3 like Davis, Yolei or Cody. He just wanted to help as well…and Kari had paid the price for it. TK sighed sadly, realizing he had screwed up…and he would have to find a way to fix it.

* * *

Kari groaned as she opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust them to the light. She felt dizzy and disoriented, like her head had just been hit by a bulldozer. The last thing she remembered was being dragged down a dark hole by Drimogemon with Gatomon before everything went dark. As she finally opened her eyes, they widened with shock. In front of her was a massive cliff, standing near a massive valley. She tried to move, but felt resistance from her arms and legs. Looking at her limbs, Kari noticed she was being held to a cliff wall, metallic restraints holding her arms and legs. Looking down at the valley in between the two cliffs, Kari could see nothing but darkness. If she fell, it would be a certain death.

'Well…it's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights,' the child of Light thought to herself as she leaned her head back against the wall.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi)

"Well, well, look who's finally awake!" Kari's head snapped up from the sound of an overly conceited voice talking to her. Looking up, she was greeted with the sight of a boy her age, dressed in purple and white clothing, with a purple cape and golden sunglasses, standing on top of the canyon across from where she was restrained.

"Just who are you?!" Kari asked.

"Really? You don't know who I am?" the boy asked in a mocking tone of hurt. "I'm hurt! I thought you would know me by now, considering your partner and the other Digimon of spoken quite highly of me!" Kari's eyes widened as it came to her.

"It's you! You're the Digimon Emperor!" the child of Light spat. "You're the one responsible for everything going on in the Digital World!"

"In the flesh," the Emperor said with a dark chuckle. "I have to admit, I didn't think capturing you would be so easy. I thought you'd be a little tougher, since your partner remains in her Champion level all the time. Oh, speaking of which…" With a snap of the Emperor's fingers, a hatch from the wall of the canyon the boy was standing on opened up, and Gatomon was pushed out on a slab. Like Kari, the white cat was restrained to the wall.

"Kari!" Gatomon yelled in relief. She had been worried about what became of her partner when she came to and found herself strapped to a wall alone in a dark room.

"Gatomon," Kari said with a light smile as the Emperor chuckled before walking away. The green caterpillar Digimon crawled after him hesitantly as Kari and Gatomon were left to their worries and hopes, wondering when help would arrive.

* * *

The Digidestined continued forward through the forest, following Cody's D-3 to where the signal was coming from. Yolei had her D-3 out as well, but her mind wasn't on finding her Digimon partner right now. Her mind was on Davis. He had warned her about the Digital World many times over the last two days ever since she got her D-3. He had warned him more than once that the Digital World was a dangerous place, and not everything would be fun. But she ignored those warnings. When she was told that she had been chosen to be a Digidestined, she was excited, as it she saw that it was finally something that would make her stand out from the rest of her siblings, as a way to get attention on her. And in her excitement, she ignored everything Davis said to her, and she openly insulted him, earning the wrath of Kari, Davis's very best friend.

But now, after being attacked by two giant Digimon, and seeing Kari be grabbed by another Digimon, she suddenly felt uneasy about all of this. If being a Digidestined meant fighting Digimon like Mojyamon and Snimon…then she wasn't sure how she could do this. The lavender-haired girl looked from TK, to Izzy, to Tai and Davis, and then to Sora.

"Sora…can I ask you a question?" Yolei asked in a low voice. The red-haired girl looked up from Biyomon, who she had been catching up to, and saw the sad look on Yolei's face.

"Sure…is something wrong?"

"How do you do this?" Yolei decided to ask straight out, getting a confused look from Sora.

"Do what?" the child of Love asked.

"This!" Yolei gestured with her arms to indicate she was referring to the others. "How do you do this whole Digidestined thing? How can you battle giant monsters and face near-death experiences, and not feel like you're wetting yourself?"

"Well…we've done it before," Sora said simply, but it was not a good enough answer for Yolei.

"I know you've done it before, but how did you do it before?" Yolei looked down at the ground with a guilty look. "I thought I could do it, but I completely underestimated what Davis said to me…and I just froze up when we were attacked…and you needed to snap me out of it…or slap, is more like it."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Straight from the Heart ~Sora no Theme~)

"Believe me Yolei, it wasn't easy for us in the beginning," Sora said softly, placing her hand on Yolei's. "We were fighting every day to stay alive…but we were fighting for a purpose. At first, our purpose was to protect the Digital World and the innocent Digimon that live here, and that's your responsibility now. The Digimon we saw earlier, Snimon and Mojyamon, were innocent Digimon that were made brainwashed slaves of the Digimon Emperor. You saw the Dark Rings they wore. These Digimon are just like us. They talk…they live…they think…they have human emotions. And they need our help." The red-haired girl bent down and picked up Biyomon, who looked exhausted. From what she told Sora, Biyomon had been on the run for a week now from the Emperor's slaves.

"And it's not just the Digital World we had to protect," continued Sora. "Eventually, the Digimon managed to enter our world and invaded Odaiba. Our families, the people we loved, were all in danger when that happened. And that made us fight harder. If the Digimon Emperor manages to take over the Digital World, then the Human World could be the next for him to attack."

"That's…that's horrible!" Yolei gasped as she began realizing how serious this was.

"It is," said Sora. "That's why we need you to fight Yolei, and why you need to take this seriously. I know deep down, despite all the arguments you may get in with your family, they still love you…and you still love them. And you wouldn't want them to be hurt by this." Yolei remained quiet as she digested Sora's words. Now she was beginning to realize the seriousness of all of this. If she didn't start taking this seriously, then everything and everyone she loved would be in danger. And as much as her family got on her nerves, she still loved them and wouldn't let anything hurt them. She was still hesitant about fighting, but she would do it if it meant protecting her family.

* * *

Up at the front of the group, Cody and Davis continued leading the way, the former in a conversation with Izzy while glancing at his D-3 to see when they would reach the signal.

"Izzy, how is it that the Digital World is like this anyway?"

"It's the result of computer data coming to life," explained Izzy. "Our usage of electronic devices created this place, which is a shadow dimension of our world. Things that you see here that may seem out of place, say a working refrigerator on a mountain, numerous signs planted everywhere, or vending machines in a valley, that's the result of faulty or missing data."

"I see…" the short boy muttered. "This is all new to me…there's so many questions going through my mind…I don't know where to start."

"That's how I was when I first came here," Izzy said as Tentomon buzzed overhead. "I was always curious about the Digital World and the Digimon. I wanted to learn more, but when I thought I finally learned something, more information presented itself to me. I learned to trust my instincts over time, and it helped me learn."

"So…you're saying I should trust my instincts?" asked Cody.

"Yes," said Izzy. "And if you have trouble, just talk to me," Izzy said with a reassuring smile.

"You can talk to me as well!" Tentomon buzzed happily. "I'd be happy to lend you a helping hand…er, talon!" Cody looked slightly amused at Tentomon as another question came to him.

"Izzy…when I get my Digimon partner, what will he be like?"

"Well, that depends," said Izzy. "Some of our partners are based on our traits, characteristics, and personalities, while others are opposites. One of my friends Joe, he's the oldest of us and he's often the most cautious and serious of us. His partner Gomamon, on the other hand, is a bit of a wisecracker and likes to make jokes and take it easy." This made Cody wonder. He was often a serious boy for his age, and more mature. Would he get a partner that was just as serious and mature as he was, or would he get someone who liked to have fun? This was confusing him, but his mind was brought back to his D-3 when it began beeping again, along with Yolei's.

"We're almost near the signals," Cody said as he looked around and noticed a massive temple in front of them.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanshou)

"Woah!" Yolei gasped as she looked up at the massive building. "That looks like an ancient Mayan pyramid!"

"And it looks like the signals are coming from up the very top of the pyramid," Davis noted as he looked down at the D-3. "Let's hurry!" The Digidestined ran up the pyramid with Patamon, Biyomon and Tentomon flying overhead. When they reached the top of the pyramid, they entered a room that looked like an ancient shrine. The group looked around the room until TK noticed something flashing from the back of the room.

"Hey, look over there!" Everyone followed TK's gaze to see two pedestals in the back of the room, with two small objects on them. The object on the left pedestal was bright silver with wings on the side, and the Crest of Love on it. The object on the right had the Crest of Knowledge on it, and was colored bright yellow, looking like the shell of an insect.

"Those are…" Davis started.

"…Digimentals!" Veemon finished with a gasp. "No doubt for Yolei and Cody!"

"Us?" asked both children.

"But if those are for Cody and Yolei, then where are their Digimon partners?" asked Tai. The Digidestined looked around while Izzy studied the Digimentals for a moment before speaking up.

"I think I may have an idea. Yolei, go up to the Digimental on the left. And Cody, take the Digimental on the right." Said children looked confused, but nodded anyways and put their hands on the Digimentals.

"If you want to lift them, then you have to feel the traits they represent," said Izzy. "Yolei, you need to feel Love, and Cody, you need to feel Knowledge!"

"Wait…how do I feel Knowledge?! That's not an emotion, is it?"

"Remember what I said Cody! Don't think! Trust your instincts!" Cody said nothing as he thought about the Digital World, the Digimon, how much he didn't understand, and how much he still wanted to know. The Digimental in the boy's hands flashed bright purple as he pulled it off.

As Cody pulled the Digimental off, Yolei thought about the friends she had back home…as well as her family. She would love them no matter what, and would do what it took to protect them. At that moment, the Digimental in her hand flashed bright red and she pulled it off the pedestal.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri zen no Theme 2)

The lights that formed when the Digitmentals were lifted did not die down just yet. The lights hovered for a minute before shooting up in the sky and two Digimon began to materialize from the light. From the red light, a hawk-like Digimon with red feathers, a white head and a feather sticking out of his head emerged and landed in front of Yolei. And the purple light produced a yellow armadillo-like Digimon in front of Cody.

"Who…who are you?" Yolei asked in surprise and wonder as Cody stared in awe at the two Digimon.

"I am Hawkmon," said the bird Digimon, "and I must offer you my thanks in freeing me. I have been waiting a long time for you to wake me up."

"So was I, but did you have to wake me up now?" the armadillo Digimon asked as he looked at Cody. "I was having a nice dream."

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Cody said sheepishly.

"Hey, don't be sorry, I'm just joking with you!" the armadillo said with a laugh before introducing himself. "The name's Armadillomon, and from now on, we're partners!"

"Partners…" Cody whispered before smiling lightly. "Well, I'm certainly honored to be your partner Armadillomon."

"And I guess…I could say the same about us, Hawkmon," Yolei said to the bird Digimon.

"As great as it is to see you guys get your partners, we have to go now," Tai said anxiously. "Kari's in trouble, and we need to rescue her and Gatomon."

"Well, this is something," Hawkmon said as he looked over to Armadillomon. "We've only been awake for a minute and already two of our own are in danger!"

"Then why are we standing here?" Armadillomon asked eagerly. "I'm well-rested and itching for a fight!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!" asked Veemon. "Let's get ready for some action!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

"Cody, Yolei, you need to say 'Digi-Armor Energize' in order to activate the Digimentals," Davis told the two children, getting nods in response.

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" Yolei and Cody yelled at the top of their lungs. The Digimentals glowed brightly with Hawkmon and Armadillomon before merging with them, The Digimental of Love with Hawkmon, and the Digimental of Knowledge with Armadillomon.

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLAPPING LOVE, HALSEMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

Hawkmon transformed into a red griffin creature with a steel helmet and wings, no doubt the Digimental of Love as armor.

Armadillomon had transformed from an armadillo into a yellow insect Digimon wearing the Digimental of Knowledge as armor. His lower arms were shaped like shovels, while his upper arms had four drills, with a fifth drill on his face where his nose should be, similar to Drimogemon.

"Prodigious!" gasped Izzy. "So this is Armor Digivolution!"

"And I think one of them could really be helpful right now," said Davis, looking over at Digmon.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Theme)

Back at the canyon, Kari and Gatomon continued hanging on the canyon walls while glaring up at their captor.

"Why are you doing all of this?! You're a kid like me!"

"Please," the Emperor said with a scoff as he looked down at Kari. "I'm far from being a kid like you Kari."

"How do you know my name?" Kari asked in surprise.

"I know much about the Digidestined," said the Emperor with a smirk. "A ruler must know who's opposing him, after all."

"But why are you doing all of this?!" Kari repeated her question. "Why are you taking over the Digital World?! If you have a Digivice like me, then that means you're a Digidestined meant to protect the Digital World and its inhabitants, not take it over and enslave them!"

"I am a Digidestined," the Emperor said as he revealed his Digivice. Though she was too far away from the Emperor, Kari noticed the Digivice in question was a D-3 like Davis's, but it was all pitch black. "I used to believe my role was like yours: To protect the Digital World and the Digimon, but later on I realized someone with the iron fist and the 'know how' is needed to ensure order, peace and control among the Digital World, and who better than me to see that it's done?"

"You think you have a right to take over the Digital World?!"

"Of course I do!" snapped the Emperor. "I have seen the darkness of Digimon, as well as the darkness of humanity! I will bring order and peace, and I will destroy the Digidestined!"

"Good luck with that," Gatomon said. "Many others have tried to destroy us, but they all failed. What makes you any different?"

"Because it's simple: I'm a Digidestined like you, and as the old saying goes: fight fire with fire," answered the Emperor.

"Well, you're picking the wrong fight," said Kari. "My friends will come to save us, and they'll teach you a lesson!"

"You sound quite confident for someone who's tied up right now and at my mercy," the Emperor said with a laugh. "Let me ask you this question: How exactly will your friends be able to fight me, when they're so busy fighting your partner?" With a snap of the Emperor's fingers, a Dark Ring flew up from behind him and went down into the canyon wall, slowly floating in Gatomon's direction. Kari's eyes widened with horror when she realized what the Digimon Emperor was planning.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"No! Leave Gatomon alone!" Kari yelled, struggling anew in her bonds, but it was useless. The restrains were too tight, and if Kari was somehow able to get free, she would fall to a quick death.

"Why not? She looks like she could use a flea collar," the Emperor laughed as Gatomon glared up at the Emperor and the approaching Dark Ring.

"I'd rather have a flea dip than a flea collar!" Gatomon yelled in protest, struggling as well to get free.

"Really now, why are you resisting so much?" asked the Emperor. "I thought you'd leap at the chance to serve the darkness like you did Myotismon years ago. That's right, I know your history Gatomon."

"And if you know what's good for you, you won't mention it again!" Gatomon yelled angrily. If there was one thing Gatomon truly hated, it was the years of abuse and terror she spent as an unwilling servant of Myotismon's. "Just you wait! When I get out of these restraints, I'll-"

"—do nothing," the Emperor interrupted, "because you'll answer only to me." The dark-haired boy chuckled evilly as the Ring was four feet away from Gatomon, when suddenly…

"EAGLE EYE!" a voice roared from the Emperor's left. Two red laser beams flew forward and struck the Dark Ring, obliterating it to dust.

"What was that?!" the Emperor yelled, turning to the direction the attack came from. Kari and Gatomon did the same, and were surprised at what they saw.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)

"Kari, hang on!" Yolei yelled as she flew in on Halsemon's back, Sora and Biyomon hanging on with her. Kari was surprised at the sight of the unknown Digimon, who she guessed was Yolei's partner.

"Darn it…!" the Emperor cursed as he turned to escape, but gasped when he saw Tai, Davis and TK standing several feet from him with their partners, the looks in their eyes showing anger.

"So, you're the Digimon Emperor," TK said with a glare.

"Yes, I am," the Emperor stood up to his full height. "But I don't think you're the leader of this group. I believe it's those two you take orders from," he gestured to Tai and Davis.

"Why, you little…!" TK growled as Davis's eyes widened slightly along with Veemon's. The Emperor's voice…it sounded so familiar…and the hair color…but it couldn't have been…

"What makes you think you can do all of this?!" Tai asked angrily. "Taking over the Digital World, enslaving innocent Digimon, kidnapping my sister?!"

"It's simple, really," the Emperor said with a smirk. "You Digidestined have failed to ensure order and peace in the Digital World, but I will succeed where you fail!"

"Damn you!" TK yelled as he stormed towards the Emperor. "Don't think I'm going to let you get away with using the powers of darkness like this! You say you're a Digidestined, but you have no partner, don't you? You have to use slaves!" The Emperor glared angrily at TK before smiling nastily at him.

"What makes you think I don't have a partner?" TK gasped suddenly when a dark shadow appeared above him and began falling towards him. The blond-haired boy was so shocked, he was barely able to move out of the way, and had to be pulled to safety by Patamon and Tai when a Digimon landed between the Emperor and the Digidestined. The Digimon stood up to full height, and both Davis and Veemon gasped in shock and wide-eyed disbelief as they saw the Digimon before them.

Standing before them was a humanoid insect Digimon with a green body and red compound eyes, along with black gauntlets on his arms, and giant wings on his back.

"See?" the Emperor said, gesturing to the Digimon. "I do have a partner. Meet Stingmon, and he's with me of his own free will." Davis's face paled at the sight of the all-too-familiar Digimon, and Veemon was just as shaken up as well. The voice, the hair, Stingmon…there was no doubt about it. The duo of Miracles didn't want to deny it, but…

"DAVIS, WATCH OUT!" Tai yelled out, causing Davis to shake his head and become aware of a shadowed figure coming down on him. Turning around, the burgundy-haired boy yelled when he saw a Kuwagamon fly down on him. Davis dived out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough as Kuwagamon's pincer sliced his right arm open.

"AGH!" Davis yelled falling to his side as he felt the blood flow from his injury.

"DAVIS!" The new Digidestined leader looked up to see Kari dismounting from Halsemon and running towards him with a look of concern on her face. After Halsemon had managed to destroy the Dark Ring that nearly enslaved Gatomon, Cody and Izzy appeared with Tentomon and Cody's partner Digimon, the latter managing to free the duo of Light. Kari and Gatomon both mounted Halsemon and had flown up in time to see Kuwagamon injure Davis, much to the brown-haired girl's horror.

"Oh, my god!" Yolei yelled, seeing Davis's bleeding arm. "Davis, your arm!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you have much more to worry about," the Emperor said, pulling out his whip and snapping it in the air.

"Drimogemon! Tuskmon!" The ground near the Digidestined split open, and Drimogemon crawled out with Tuskmon, a green dinosaur Digimon that had two massive red and black horns on his shoulders.

"Damn it all…" Davis cursed as he grabbed his D-3 with his left arm. As shocking as it was to see the Stingmon with the Digimon Emperor, Davis had to put it behind his mind for now.

"Davis, don't!" Kari said, grabbing Davis by his good shoulder. "You need medical attention!"

"Worry about that later!" Davis said as he looked at Veemon. "Veemon, Armor Digivolve!"

"Right!" Veemon said, feeling a rage building up at him after seeing Davis hurt.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!" Igniting his fists, Flamedramon charged forward and began fighting Stingmon.

"Yolei, hang tight!" Halsemon said to his partner, taking flight after Kuwagamon, who had the Digimon Emperor on his shoulder.

"I'll take care of Drimogemon!" Digmon said as he drilled underground after Drimogemon, who had dug underground as well. Tuskmon roared as he charged after the Digidestined, but Gatomon stood her ground and leaped up, ramming her fist in the dinosaur's snout, forcing him to take a step back before raising his fist up.

"PANZER KNUCKLE!"

"LIGHTNING PAW!" The two attacks collided and both Digimon slid back.

"Tai, get the others to safety!" Agumon said to his partner. "We'll help Gatomon with Tuskmon!"

"All right, but be careful," said Tai, helping Kari and Sora look after the injured Davis.

"FLAMING FIST!" Flamedramon shot his fireballs at Stingmon, who managed to dodge the attack by flying into the air. The green insect man raised up in the air and loosened his shoulder guards so he could use his arms better. Extending his right arm, Stingmon extended the blade on his gauntlet.

"SPIKING FINISH!" The spike glowed purple and Stingmon flew down at Flamedramon, who leaped up and dodged the attack. The spike dug into the ground as Flamedramon flipped backwards before landing and charging at Stingmon again with a powerful kick. Stingmon skidded back, but regained his footing as he yelled out, "HELL SQUEEZE!" and delivered a flurry of kicks to Flamedramon. The dragon man grunted as the kicks connected, knocking him on his back. Stingmon then attempted his Spiking Strike again, but Flamedramon expertly rolled out of the way and fired his Flaming Fist again, but Stingmon yelled out "MOON SHOOTER!" and fired needles from his gauntlets that dispersed the fireballs upon making contact with him. Flamedramon gritted his teeth. If the Stingmon before him was indeed his old friend, then he was surely in for a fight.

* * *

Deep underground, Drimogemon drilled deep underground in order to catch the Digidestined off guard and catch them like he did the girl and Gatomon earlier. Entering a chamber, Drimogemon stopped suddenly when he saw Digmon standing in his way.

"Not so fast, drill nose!" Digmon said, his five drills spinning at a fast pace. "Don't think I'll let you get the drop on my buddies that easily!"

"IRON DRILL SPIN!" Drimogemon charged at the insect Digimon, who charged as well. The two drills collided and spun about in a battle of strength. Digmon stood his ground and rammed his drill arms into Drimogemon. The mole Digimon yelled angrily as he was pushed back. Pulling a bone out from behind him, Drimogemon yelled out "CRUSHER BONE!" and threw the bone forward. Digmon spread his little wings and took flight, dodging the bone and aiming his drills at Drimogemon.

"GOLD RUSH!" Crossing his arms, Digimon swung them outwards, releasing the drills on them, as well as the drill on his face, and sending them at Drimogemon. Due to his bulky build, Drimogemon was unable to dodge all five projectiles and he was engulfed in an explosion. More importantly, the Dark Ring on his left foreleg broke apart, freeing him from the Emperor's control.

* * *

"Davis, are you okay?" Cody asked worriedly as he noticed Davis's bleeding arm.

"Yeah, don't sweat it. It's just a flesh wound," Davis hissed between his breath. Kari could only watch in worry. It was always like Davis to shrug off injuries like this, no matter how serious they were.

"Don't you dare try and brush it off, Daisuke!" Kari snapped at her best friend, who could only look on in surprise. The fact that Kari used his full name meant she was serious with this matter. "You need medical attention immediately!"

"After we take care of these Digimon!" Davis said as he looked around at the three battles happening around him. "There's nothing much we can do right now for my arm!"

"Just let us wrap your arm up in something," Sora insisted as she undid the blue ribbon around her school uniform and wrapped it around Davis's arm as a makeshift bandage. "Once we get back, we'll get that arm really fixed up." Davis simply nodded and looked on at the fights happening, particularly the fight his partner was in right now with the familiar green Digimon.

'It just can't be him…but yet…' the burgundy-haired boy thought in worry.

* * *

"Up here, green boy!" Tentomon taunted Tuskmon, who roared at the challenge and swung his arm into the air, but the red insect Digimon evaded Tuskmon's clutches.

"PEPPER BREATH!" Agumon's fireball soared in the sky, hitting Tuskmon in the side of the face. Growling angrily, Tuskmon swung his tail at Agumon, but the orange reptile Digimon ducked down in time to avoid being hit.

"AIR SHOT!" Patamon's attack hit Tuskmon in the back, causing the dinosaur's attention to turn to the winged Digimon, who evaded Tuskmon's horns as best he could.

"We may not be able to Digivolve," Agumon said bravely, "but we can still fight!"

"All we have to do is break the Dark Ring on his neck," Gatomon said as she looked at her Tail Ring. Yesterday, she had managed to sap one of its power by just touching it with her tail. If she could get close to Tuskmon's neck…

"Biyomon! Tentomon! Get Tuskmon to look up!" The pink bird and red insect nodded in acknowledgment, flying into the sky and pelting Tuskmon with multiple Spiral Twisters and Super Shockers. Annoyed at the attacks, Tuskmon looked up and roared angrily as he attempted to swat the two Rookies out of the sky. As he moved his head up, the Dark Ring on his neck was fully exposed. Realizing this was her moment, Gatomon ran forward and leapt up, ramming the Dark Ring with her tail ring. The tail ring glowed golden as the Dark Ring sparked and cracked apart. Tuskmon's eyes returned to normal as the green dinosaur Digimon immediately turned around and ran off as fast as possible, not wanting to be captured again by the Emperor. Moments later, Digmon burst out from the ground underneath, landing next to the Digidestined.

"Good news! I managed to free Drimogemon, and he's high-tailing it to safety!"

"Good work Digmon," Cody praised his partner before looking up into the sky. "Now it's all up to Yolei."

* * *

"SCISSOR CLAW!" Kuwagamon roared as he flew down at Halsemon, his pincers gleaming in the sunlight. Halsemon performed a barrel roll to avoid the attack and Yolei screamed in surprise as she gripped Halsemon's feathers tightly, not wanting to slip and fall. The two air combatants continued avoiding each other's attacks until they both stopped in midair to breath. As this happened, Yolei and the Emperor locked eyes, the latter smirking evilly.

"You…are a fool if you think you can oppose me, girl," the Emperor said with a laugh. "You're in way over your head!"

"That may be true," Yolei said as she glared at the Emperor. "But I refuse to stand by and let this threat of yours consume the Digital World, and hurt the people I care about! Halsemon, finish him off!"

"With pleasure Yolei! You might want to hold on tight for this one!"

"O…okay!" Yolei said as she gripped her tightest on Halsemon, wondering what he was planning.

"TEMPEST WING!" The griffin Digimon began spinning rapidly as he flew at Kuwagamon. Yolei could only scream as she felt herself going in circles. Within a matter of seconds, a massive tornado was created by Halsemon's spinning, and Kuwagamon and the Digimon Emperor were caught in it. Kuwagamon attempted to fly out of the tornado, but the winds were too strong and he was thrown around. The Emperor, who attempted to keep a hold on Kuwagamon, yelled as he was thrown off the red stag beetle and fell out of the tornado and began plummeting towards the ground. Halsemon stopped spinning and flew again at a disoriented Kuwagamon.

"MACH IMPULSE!" Halsemon's wings glowed bright red, unleashing two energy blades at the Dark Ring on Kuwagamon's lower right arm. As he was still disoriented from the tornado attack, the stag beetle was unable to prevent the attack from hitting and shattering the Dark Ring. Losing consciousness, Kuwagamon fell down and crashed into the ground below, out cold but alive.

"And thus another enemy is vanquished," Halsemon stated before turning his gaze up to his partner. "Yolei, are you okay?"

"Yeah…I think so…but do me a favor. Next time you use your Tempest Wing, can you make sure I'm not on you?" Yolei responded, her hair a complete mess from spinning around so much.

"Of course. I apologize," Halsemon said with an embarrassed chuckle.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

Down below on the ground, Flamedramon continued his battle with Stingmon, and the two Digimon were fiercely locked in combat. Flamedramon spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Stingmon's chest and the green insect countered with a punch to Flamedramon's chest. The dragon man leapt up and headbutted Stingmon, knocking him back several feet. Flamedramon then leapt backwards and ignited his entire body in fire.

"FIRE ROCKET!" The flame-wreathed Digimon charged at Stingmon, who raised up his arms and crossed them into an X-shape, blocking Flamedramon's attack. Both Digimon were then locked in a battle of strength. As they pushed each other back, Stingmon let out a small chuckle and whispered, "Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, Flamedramon." The armored Digimon's eyes widened greatly in shock upon hearing him talk. The voice of Stingmon's was all too familiar for him. There was definitely no doubt about it now. It _was_ him.

"STINGMON!" The green insect man's head turned sharply upon hearing his name called out, and gasped when he saw the Digimon Emperor falling fast towards the valley below. Knowing what to do, Stingmon let out a loud yell, pushing Flamedramon back. Stingmon then him further back with his Spiking Strike before taking flight.

"We'll finish this another day," the insectoid Digimon said to Flamedramon before flying up and grabbing the Digimon Emperor before the human connected with the ground below.

"Ken…are you all right?" Stingmon whispered, nobody hearing him but his partner.

"I'm fine!" the boy said as he climbed up on Stingmon's back. "But we have to go now. We're outnumbered."

"I understand," Stingmon said, flying downwards so the two were looking at the Digidestined.

"You may have won this battle Digidestined, but the war is far from over!" the Emperor boldly stated. "I am far more powerful than you think. I have more Digimon under my command than what you have encountered so far!"

"Then why are you running?" Tai yelled defiantly, getting the Emperor to laugh at the question.

"A good ruler knows when the right time to retreat is," said the boy. "Rest assured Digidestined…this is just the beginning. Stingmon, let us away." Stingmon nodded and took flight. The Digidestined could only watch in worry, while Davis and Veemon looked on with sadness, realizing things had just been made worse, given what they found out today.

"Davis…what's wrong?" Tai asked, noticing his protégé's sad look. Davis blinked and looked up at Tai.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

"It's…it's just sad. Our new enemy is another Digidestined turned evil." What the burgundy-haired boy said wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't true. Deep down, he had a bad feeling that he knew who the Digimon Emperor was…and judging from the saddened look on Veemon's face, he knew as well.

"So my theory was correct," Izzy said with a grim expression.

"I…I don't understand," said a confused Cody. "Why would a Digidestined turn evil and try to conquer the Digital World?"

"It's possible he may not be doing it of his own free will," answered Gatomon. "If anything, it's possible some dark force from outside is controlling his actions. What it is though, we have no current idea."

"Darkness…" TK growled, clenching his fists angrily. "It's unforgivable!" Patamon looked up at the blond-haired boy with concern in his eyes.

"Guys, we should really get back home," Kari said, her arms wrapped around Davis's injured limb. "This cut on Davis's arm looks really bad and I think we should get him some professional medical attention."

"But the question is, where exactly can we take him?" asked Cody. "I highly doubt we can tell the doctors about the Digimon."

"Actually," Tai said, catching everyone's attention, "there is one doctor that can help us."

"Tai, what are you…" Sora began to ask before realizing what her friend was talking about. "Oh! Of course!" she said with an embarrassed laugh.

"What? Who are you talking about?" Armadillomon asked, confused about what Tai and Sora were talking about.

"We'll explain later," said Tai. "Right now, we should get home."

"Guys, it's fine," Davis insisted as he moved his arm out of Kari's grip, wincing as he moved it. "I've suffered worse than this…"

"Oh no, you don't!" Kari said, grabbing Davis's arm and pulling him back towards her. "You are getting help from a real doctor Daisuke! Do you understand?" Once again, Kari used his real name, and Davis simply nodded, knowing better than to argue with Kari.

"Is Kari…always like this?" Cody asked curiously.

"Usually when it involves Davis," Tai said with a chuckle. Yolei looked hesitant about something as she walked up to Davis, clearing her throat to get attention.

(Play Digimon: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"Davis, I…I want to apologize." Davis looked up to Yolei, who had a look of guilt and sadness on her face. "I want to apologize for not listening to your warnings about the Digital World…and I may have said some stuff behind your back that was hurtful. I'm sorry for that as well." Davis blinked in surprise at Yolei's apology and confession. Watching Yolei apologize, TK decided it was best to fix up some of the damage he caused today.

"Davis…I…I want to apologize as well," the blond-haired boy said, getting looks from everyone. "It was wrong of me to change the coordinates. I…I can't really explain it, but I was pissed at you since yesterday…and it just built up until it exploded. Kari got kidnapped because of me, and you were injured because of me as well. And…I'm really sorry for that." Davis was still angry at TK, but he couldn't stay mad forever…especially when the look on his face convinced him that the child of Hope was truly sorry, as well as Yolei.

"Don't worry about it guys," he said after a minute of silence. "I would have done the same if the roles were reversed."

"Besides, if there's a good thing that happened out of all of this chaos, it's the fact that Yolei and Cody now have their own partners and Digimentals," Veemon pointed out, causing everyone to nod and chuckle slightly. In a dark sort of funny, if TK hadn't changed in the coordinates, then things could have gone differently had the Digidestined not found the temple.

"At least you admitted to your mistakes," Cody spoke up. "And the important thing here is to learn from them and not do them again." Izzy smiled at the boy's words, which reminded him of Joe. If Joe was here, he no doubt would have said something similar to what Cody said.

"Well, if we're done here," said Davis, "can we please go home now so I can have my arm looked at?"

"Really?!" Kari asked with a playful glare. "Five minutes ago, you said you were fine!"

"Well…that was before you told me to see a doctor…" Davis said sheepishly, blushing heavily as he looked away, causing everyone to laugh at his embarrassment. As the Digidestined headed back for the Digital Gate, Sora and Izzy were catching up with their partner Digimon after four years of being apart from each other, and Yolei and Cody talked with their own Digimon.

"So, Yolei, I trust today was the first of many to have us working together?" the bird Digimon asked politely.

"You bet!" Yolei said with an excited grin. "This is definitely my time to shine!"

"What about us, Cody?" Armadillomon asked his partner. "Will we be a team as well?"

"Of course," Cody said with a small bow. "It's definitely a pleasure to have you as my partner, Armadillomon."

* * *

Far away from the valley where the battle took place, Stingmon flew swiftly over the Digital World's skies, eventually landing on a platform which descended, bringing the insectoid Digimon and his partner to their base. Once they entered the base, Stingmon shrunk down before returning to Wormmon, who looked slightly worried as he looked up at his partner, who had begun scrolling through the Digimon he had captured so far.

"Ken…are you sure what we did today was a good idea? There's a chance that Davis might tell the others about us!"

"Ha!" Ken laughed loudly as he turned off the computer and began heading for a certain screen. "You saw the look on Davis and Veemon's face when you dropped down, Wormmon. There's no way they'll expose us!"

"Why not?"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

"Isn't it obvious?" Ken remarked with a smirk. "What happened here today will shake his faith and trust in the other Digidestined. Our secret will become his secret, and he'll keep it to himself. The other Digidestined will grow suspicious of Davis, and when that happens…we will tear them apart." Ken laughed evilly as Wormmon looked on with concern. Ken's laughs eventually died down and he turned on his heel towards the monitor that would take him back to the Human World. "You know the drill, Wormmon."

"Yes…I do," Wormmon muttered, watching his partner vanish into the monitor screen and return to the Human World. Once the light of the Digital Gate died down, Wormmmon turned off the monitor and began turning on the defense mechanisms of the base to detect any nearby intruders. As he went about his business, the green caterpillar couldn't help but feel concerned about what was to come.

"Whatever's wrong with Ken…I hope it can be fixed."

(Plays Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 5

 **I've been reading several reviews, and one of them talked about the D-1 tournament. In this story I'm writing, the D-1 Tournament did not happen, and Ryo and Monodramon ended up in the Tamers dimension when they fought Millenniummon hit Ken with the Dark Spore. I think the D-1 Tournament was wrong for the Digidestined to do to Ryo. As for Impmon, it will be revealed in a later chapter. No, Impmon will not be the evil Demon Lord Beelzemon…he will still be Beelzemon, but he will also be another Digimon, though…and he is not evil. That's all I have to say for now. By the way, how do I make those little lines appear to signal a change in scenery that I see in most fanfictions? If you're able to tell me in the reviews, I'd really appreciate it.**


	6. Chapter 6: Hope and Light's New Power

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Before we begin, I'd like to talk about some of the reviews I have been receiving. I notice most of them are mostly negative. They are blasting me for making changes and putting in music that you can play while reading. Isn't that the whole point of fanfiction? We can make changes to something we don't like if we want to, we can let our imaginations run wild. I don't mind a little criticism, but half of the reviews have mostly been getting on me about all the changes I've been making, big or small.**

 **I want to make this clear: There are fanfictions where the D-1 Tournament was retconned out. There are fanfictions where Kenta's partner can be in his Rookie level, whatever it may be. There are fanfictions where Davis went to the Digital World before the events of 02. There are several 02 rewrites that have the Digimon still capable of Digivolving past Champion level. There are fanfictions with Davis and Kari as a couple, as well as Tai and Sora, and Takato and Jeri. And there are fanfictions where the authors can put in music for their readers to listen to while reading. They do have their fair share of negative reviews, but what is different about my story that has it being criticized every time I put up a chapter? Change can be good. It's okay to be different. I feel like most people usually don't understand or like what is different.**

 **I get it, a couple of you aren't into what I'm writing. But this is my first fanfiction ever. Nobody's perfect, and you know that. I'm doing this for fun, as well as for other fans of Digimon who like this sort of story.**

 **But I'm not saying all the reviews have been negative. There are positive reviews and I'd like to acknowledge those people.**

 **Hollow Lord of Miracles, star eyes pendulum dragon, piccolaLilly17 and OPIv2, among others. Thank you for your support and your reviews, and I hope you'll continue enjoying this story and leaving reviews for me to read.**

 **And to those who are following this story and have put it in their favorites, or have sent me a private message: Kronus18, destiny chosen, Saturnmieze, Sesshoru, abbydobbie, xxHinaAngelxx, and others, thank you for favoriting this story and be sure to review if you like it.**

 **And to everybody else reading this story, be sure to follow it and add it to your favorites if it's your preferred cup of coffee, and leave a review if you like it. It would mean plenty to me.**

 **Now then…on to the chapter!**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Jealous over Davis and being next to useless in the Digital World, TK let his anger get the better of him and messed with the Digital Gate, leading to the Digimon Emperor kidnapping Kari and Gatomon. Yolei and Cody managed to retrieve their partners, Hawkmon and Armadillomon, as well as the Digimentals of Love and Knowledge. When they rescued Kari, Davis was injured by a Kuwagamon. What will happen next?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The New Power of Hope and Light

"OW! Take it easy, doc! I need that arm!"

"Hold still and you might keep it."

Davis sighed as he let Doctor Kido inspect his injured arm. After the Digidestined returned to the Human World from the Digital World with Biyomon and Tentomon, Kari, Tai and Sora immediately took Davis to Joe's apartment, where they knew the older boy's father, a professional doctor who knew of the Digimon, would be able to help Davis's arm. When the Digidestined went through the Digital Gate, they ended up in another dogpile, and unfortunately for Davis he was at the bottom of the pile, causing all the weight of the Digidestined and Digimon to crash down on him and his injured arm, making it even worse.

Kari, who ended up near the top of the pile, immediately pulled herself out of the pile and with Sora's help, was able to get everybody off without making Davis's injury worse. Currently, Davis was sitting down in a chair with his shirt off as Joe's father took the injured arm in hand, inspecting it closely.

"Is it bad, Dr. Kido?" Kari asked worriedly. She was concerned about the bleeding. It had stopped when Sora used her school ribbon as a bandage and applied pressure to it, but the trip back made the bleeding start again. This made them worry that Kuwagamon's pincers may have had some poison on them that they did not know about. If Kuwagamon's pincers were poisonous, then Davis was worse off than they originally thought.

"Well, that depends…" Dr. Kido muttered as he reached towards his first aid kit and pulled out some disinfectant, bandages and gauze. "I don't know much about Digimon, so I can't really say if there was poison in that cut or not…Davis, are you feeling light-headed? Do you feel dizzy, unable to stand properly?"

"I can stand just fine doc," insisted Davis. "The only problem is my arm."

"Okay, so it's just your arm. But still, we shouldn't rule out poison of some sort. What does this…Kuwagamon look like again?"

"He's basically a giant red stag beetle," Joe answered, coming in from the kitchen with drinks for the guests. "Stag beetle bites aren't poisonous, are they?"

"No, they aren't…" Dr. Kido said, rubbing antiseptic on Davis's arm to clean off the arm and stop the stinging. "But they can hurt for a while. And if that's the case with this Kuwagamon, then chances are Davis's arm is simply just hurting and needs to be fixed up." The doctor then placed gauze on the arm before securing it with bandages.

"There we go. That should take care of it. Remember to change the bandages every two days, and take it easy."

"I'm not sure if that's possible," Davis replied as he put back on his shirt and vest. "I have to lead my friends in the Digital World, and I even have soccer practice!"

"There's not much use arguing with Davis, Dr. Kido," said Tai, looking up from his lemonade. "He can be quite stubborn when it comes to these sorts of things."

"Kind of like you Tai," Joe said, causing the brown-haired boy to scowl.

"Well, if you're that dedicated to what you do Davis, then I don't think there's much I can do to stop you," Dr. Kido said with a sigh. "But I'd watch that arm carefully if I were you."

"I will doc," Davis said, picking up DemiVeemon and his backpack, walking out of the apartment. The burgundy haired boy waved goodbye to the other Digidestined before he left back for home.

"You kids better get home as well," Dr. Kido said to Tai, Sora and Kari as he replaced his first aid kit. "It's getting late out there."

"We will," said Tai. "Thanks for your help Dr. Kido."

"Well, I did my best," said the middle-aged man. "We just have to hope Davis doesn't ruin the work I did."

"I'll make sure he doesn't," Kari reassured everyone. After saying their goodbyes to Joe, the three Digidestined left the apartment building for home, their Digimon partners with them. Agumon and Biyomon rode on Tai and Sora's backs, and Gatomon rested in Kari's arms. As Kari walked, she couldn't help but replay the events that led up to Davis's arm injury. She had been captured and held prisoner by the Digimon Emperor, and Davis had been hurt rescuing her. Part of the blame could go to TK for changing the coordinates, but seeing TK apologize very sincerely, she couldn't stay mad at him. Kari felt like she was responsible for what happened to Davis. If she had moved faster, or stayed close with the other Digidestined, then Drimogemon wouldn't have captured her and Gatomon, and Davis wouldn't have been hurt rescuing her. This made the child of Light feel awful, realizing she was the reason her best friend was hurt.

Tai and Sora walked past Kari, who had slowed down due to her heavy thinking. Realizing the young girl was not following them, the two Digidestined looked back to see Kari having a sad look on her face, and Gatomon looking up at her with a worried look.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Kari? Are you all right, sis?" Tai asked, letting Agumon off his back and going over to Kari, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No…" the brown-haired girl said sadly. "Davis ended up like that because of me, didn't he? He got hurt because I was captured…and he was trying to rescue me…had I not been captured…" Tai sighed in sadness, knowing that Kari always did this sort of thing. If something happened that involved her, she usually put the blame on herself, even though she didn't deserve it. It had happened four years ago when Myotismon took all of Odaiba hostage just so he could find Kari and kill her. Feeling guilty, Kari surrendered herself to Myotismon in order for it to stop.

"Kari, don't blame yourself," reassured Tai softly. "What happened to Davis was not your fault. Any one of us could have gotten hurt rescuing you. What happened was unfortunate, but you shouldn't blame yourself."

"I know…" Kari said sadly. "I just wish I didn't have to be protected all the time…I'm twelve years old now, not eight."

"Kari, we don't protect you because we have to," Sora said sweetly, looking over to her sister figure. "We protect you because we want to, and we do the same for all of us Digidestined. And I know you want to do the same."

"I do. Just yesterday I told everybody that I'm as much of a Digidestined as everybody else, and not some damsel in distress that has to be rescued constantly…but that's what I was today," Kari said sadly."

"That was just today," said Biyomon. "I'm sure you'll be able to help out tomorrow."

"I hope so," Kari said. "I want to become stronger to protect Davis and everybody else! It's time I did my part!"

"We'll do it together Kari," Gatomon said, looking up at her friend and partner. Kari nodded, feeling better from the talk. She hoped that she could grow stronger and become somebody for the others to rely on. She didn't want to see anyone else get hurt for her, especially Davis.

"When we get home, I'm going to call Davis and see how he's doing," she said as the kids and Digimon continued down the street. "I know Dr. Kido did a good job on Davis's arm, and I highly doubt anything will happen on the way home, but I just want to be sure."

"Really?" Tai asked with a smirk, causing Kari to blush slightly. The last two years most people who knew of the close friendship between Kari and Davis, especially Tai and Sora, teased them about being in love with each other. Kari always refuted those claims, saying that Davis was her best friend and nothing more. Yet at the same time, whenever Kari thought about Davis, or was near him, she always felt a soothing sense of calm over her being, and always cherished her time with him. Because that's what friends do…although most people saw them as more than friends. Kari shook those thoughts out of her head. She couldn't be in love with Davis…could she? And if she was, was it possible that Davis had those same feelings as well?

Behind Kari, Sora smiled softly, sensing the strange feeling inside Kari. Because of what her Crest stood for, Sora could feel different types of love inside other people. Love for other people and their homes, love for something they truly enjoyed doing…love that made Sora blush heavily and want to shower when she felt it…and love between a boy and a girl. Kari and Davis either denied it a lot, or didn't just know it yet…but Sora knew Kari was in love with Davis, and Davis was in love with Kari. The only question was, when would they admit it?

"Hey Sora, are you okay?" Biyomon asked, getting the red-haired girl's attention. "You look like you were thinking of something."

"Oh, I was," Sora said simply with a smile.

"What was it?" Tai asked curiously, looking over to his best friend, who simply kept smiling.

"Oh, it's just a little secret," Sora chuckled, looking at Tai's pouty face when he wouldn't get the good information. This also made Sora wonder when Tai would pluck up the courage and admit his feelings, and if she should do it when he wouldn't. Sora simply shook her head as she walked down the street.

'Sometimes, love can be crazy,' she thought with another smile.

* * *

"Davis, are you sure you're okay?" Jun asked fretfully, watching Davis change into his pajamas. The minute the burgundy-haired boy came home with DemiVeemon, he pulled Jun into his bedroom and showed him his injured arm, telling her what happened. Jun almost screamed very loudly upon seeing the bandages, prompting Davis to muffle her voice with a pillow so their parents wouldn't come bursting in to see what the matter was.

"I'm fine now," Davis said, being mindful of the bandages as he pulled on his shirt. "When we got back, we went to Joe's apartment and his father managed to take care of it. I just need to…take it easy…for the next few days."

"I highly doubt that," Jun scoffed as Davis sat down on his bed. Getting a good look at her brother's face, Jun noticed that Davis looked like he was thinking about something, and the sad look meant it was something not good.

"Davis, what's wrong? You look really down for an arm injury…"

"It's not my arm that's the problem," Davis said, thinking about today's events, especially the confrontation and battle with the Digimon Emperor and the Emperor's partner Digimon. Davis wasn't sure how he knew it, but he knew it was him. But the question was…if it was him, then what happened to his Digivice? Davis was told the Emperor had a black D-3, and he saw it today. Did his Digivice somehow change like Davis's?

"Jun, I…I think I may know who the Digimon Emperor is."

"What?" Jun asked with widened eyes. "Who?" Davis hesitated before answering. He didn't want to say it until he was absolutely sure, but he trusted Jun to keep it a secret.

"I…I think it may be Ken." Jun gasped in surprise.

"Ken? As in Ken Ichijouji, who helped you and Ryo in the Digital World three years ago?" the spiky-haired girl asked for confirmation, a nod from Davis being the answer. "Oh my god. Are you sure?"

(Play Digimon: Kanashimi 2)

"I am sure," Davis said sadly. "When we confronted him today in the Digital World, his voice sounded very familiar, and his hair may have been different, but the color was familiar as well. And what was more, his Digimon partner was a Stingmon, and Ken's partner Wormmon could Digivolve into a Stingmon."

"And Stingmon even spoke to me when I fought him," DemiVeemon said with a sad expression on his face. "He said, 'nice to see you haven't lost your touch.'"

"Holy cow," Jun breathed, running a hand through her hair. "Do…any of the others know yet?"

"No," Davis answered simply. "It was one thing to tell them about Ryo and Millenniummon, but how do I tell them that my best friend, one that I made in the Digital World, has become a tyrannical dictator, the very same one we're fighting now?"

"Yeah…I think I can see where you're coming from," Jun said slowly. "But Davis, this sounds serious. You may have to tell them eventually."

"I…I'll think about it," said Davis. "I need to really look into it before I can be sure."

"All right then," Jun sighed, getting up from out of her seat and exiting the bedroom. "By the way…is Kari all right?"

"She's fine," said Davis. "She may be a little bruised from where she was chained up on the canyon wall."

"So…did she kiss you for saving her?" Davis's face darkened to a reddish hue as Jun smirked at her teasing question.

"Hey, be serious Jun! Technically, it was Cody and Yolei that saved her, and no, she didn't kiss anyone! Honestly, why do you think I have a crush on Kari? She's my best friend!"

"Maybe," Jun ran a finger down the doorframe. "But I've seen the way you look at each other. You love her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah! I love all my friends!" Davis said in defense, though Jun clearly wasn't buying it.

"Sure, Davis."

"Jun, seriously! I…I don't know if I love her or not like that! Besides, I have a lot more to worry about than romance right now, like the Digital World." Davis's blush grew, as he did not want any part of this conversation with Jun.

"You may be a Digidestined, but you're still a preteen boy," Jun said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And everyone falls in love with someone at that age."

"Oh, get out!" Davis whined. Jun let out a loud laugh before closing the door behind her. Davis moved on his bed and lay down, minding his arm as DemiVeemon sat by his head. Recently, many people had gotten on Davis's case about being in love with Kari, and the burgundy-haired boy denied having any romantic attraction for his long-time best friend. Kari was someone who he always enjoyed being around. She was someone he could confide in, as she was the first one he told of his status in the Digital World yesterday. Davis couldn't help but admit that he felt something strange whenever he was with Kari or thought of her, but it couldn't be love…could it?

"Davis, what are you thinking about?" DemiVeemon asked, noticing the faraway look on the boy's face. The little dragon had known Davis long enough to know when he was thinking about something.

"Yeah, just some personal things," Davis answered, running his hair through with his non-injured hand. "Jun was right. I may be a Digidestined, but I'm still just a kid with normal problems."

"Like…like the possibility of Ken being our enemy?" DemiVeemon asked, missing the point.

"No…that's a Digital World problem," Davis sighed sadly as Ken came back to his mind. "I just can't help but wonder what happened to Ken. I haven't spoken to him in three years."

"Whatever it is, we can help him right?" DemiVeemon asked hopefully. "He's being controlled, so we can save him. Right?" DemiVeemon's eyes glistened with hope and optimism, making Davis smile lightly as he patted his partner's head.

"Yeah…that's right." Turning off the lights and pulling DemiVeemon as close as his injured arm could permit without hurting again, Davis was soon sleeping, thinking about tomorrow.

* * *

In another part of Odaiba, TK, having finished his homework, stepped outside on the balcony, gazing out at the night sky of Odaiba. The blond haired boy's mind hadn't been on his schoolwork much as it had been on the last two days of action in the Digital World, specifically anything involving himself and Davis. TK could only groan in frustration about everything that was happening. He was frustrated that he let something as trivial as his feelings for Kari get in the way of the Digital World. He was frustrated about not being able to do much since Patamon couldn't Digivolve. He was frustrated that everything that happened today was because of him and his jealousy. Despite Yolei and Cody getting their partners and Digimentals, it had been a bad day between Kari's kidnapping and Davis's injury…and he was to blame.

"TK…is something wrong?" Patamon asked softly, flying out to the balcony and landing on the railing next to TK. Ever since they came home, the little winged Digimon noticed that his partner had been distracted a lot and had a guilty look on his face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that TK was feeling extremely guilty over what he did today, and it confused Patamon to no end. What had possessed TK to do what he did today? And why did he argue with Davis yesterday? It wasn't like him at all. Patamon knew part of it was because TK felt frustrated at their lack of involvement since the whole thing began, but the winged Digimon felt it was something else, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Yeah…something is wrong," TK sighed sadly before looking over to his Digimon, who he felt had a right to know. "It's…it's kind of a human thing. I'm not sure if Digimon would understand it."

"If you explain it to me, maybe I can understand," said Patamon. TK let out a breath, wondering how to word it. Before he could answer, the doorbell to the apartment rang. Wondering who it was, TK went over to the entrance and opened the door. The child of Hope's eyes widened with surprise when he was greeted with the sight of his older brother Matt, a cool expression on his face with his guitar case slung over his shoulder.

"Matt…what are you doing here?"

"…Tai called me," Matt said simply. TK's surprise turned into sadness again, realizing what Matt was talking about. Stepping to the side to let his brother in, TK closed the door behind him and went into the living room, sitting down with Matt at the table. Both brothers looked at each other in the eye, Matt's ice cold eyes boring into TK's warm ones.

"So…Tai told you everything?"

"Yes, he did," Matt said, disappointment laced in his voice as he spoke. "I don't understand TK. Why did you do it?" TK sighed again, looking down at the table, and then up to Matt and Patamon, the latter landing on the table next to Matt. Deciding to get it off his chest, TK began talking.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

"You know that I consider Kari my best friend…after what we went through four years ago, yes?" Matt and Patamon nodded before TK continued. "Well…after we returned home, I went back to Setagaya, which is away from Odaiba, so I couldn't see Kari much. When I came back to Odaiba, I was excited since I would be able to see Kari again and spend more time with her. But ever since I came back, she's been spending more time with Davis and talking about him a lot. At first I didn't know why, since he seemed like a stranger that reminded me of Tai, but when I learned that he had been Kari's best friend longer than I was…it just shocked me a lot."

"Are you saying it's wrong for Kari to have any more friends than you?" Patamon asked curiously.

"No! That's not what I mean," TK said, looking surprised at his partner's question. "I was just hoping to be with Kari a little bit, catch up with her…but I haven't been able to. I always got this bad feeling inside of me whenever Davis was around me or someone, especially Kari, talked about him. I didn't know what it was, but I realized today that I was jealous of Davis."

"Why didn't you just talk with Davis and Kari about it?" Matt questioned.

"I wanted to, but that jealous feeling always came up whenever I saw them together, and it ate away at me…" TK trailed off, looking down at the table with a frown. Matt sighed, looking at his brother with a frown of his own. He seemed to know what TK's problem was: He was twelve years old, which meant we was going through teenage years and would be going through typical teenage drama, but the blond-haired musician wondered if there was something else bothering his little brother.

"TK, is there something else that's wrong? I have a feeling it's not just whatever's going on between you, Kari and Davis." TK sighed again.

"Yeah, that's not all…I'm also upset that I can't do much in the Digital World," the young boy said. "It just makes me mad that a Digidestined has been corrupted by the forces of darkness and is taking over the Digital World, and there's nothing I can do to help stop it! Patamon can't Digivolve at all!"

"I'm sorry TK," Patamon moaned, thinking he was to blame for TK being nearly useless in the Digital World.

"No, it's not your fault," TK said, sighing in frustration. "I just wish I could do more besides stand on the sidelines…"

"I don't like it any more than you do TK," Matt said with a sad sigh. "I wish I could help, but a fat lot of good I would do even if I had Gabumon." TK nodded in agreement. "But this may be how it is…we may not help, but we can still give out advice and help where it's needed."

"That I know," said TK. "That's why I'm going back tomorrow." The child of Hope was determined to do his best, even if Patamon was unable to do much against more powerful Digimon. Matt looked over at the clock on the wall, realizing how late it was.

"Well, I need to get home," the blond musician said, getting up out of his chair and walking over to the door. "And TK…I really think you should talk with Kari and Davis about their friendship bothering you."

"I will," TK said, deciding to do it tomorrow. The young boy waved goodbye to his brother and went off to bed with Patamon.

* * *

The next day at school, things went the same as before, except Yolei and Cody had brought Hawkmon and Armadillomon along to school. The two new Digimon had reverted to their In-Training levels upon traveling to the human world, Hawkmon turning into Poromon, a small ball-shaped Digimon with pink feathers and wings, and Armadillomon becoming Upamon, a ball-shaped tan Digimon with flappy ears. Davis, Kari and TK brought their Digimon to school as well while Tai, Izzy and Sora left their partners home.

As DemiVeemon, Gatomon, Patamon, Poromon and Hawkmon were smaller than the other Rookie Digimon, they were able to hide out in the computer lab while their partners were in class. While DemiVeemon, Patamon and Gatomon were the most patient as eight hours went by, Poromon and Upamon, who were technically newborn Digimon, were not so patient.

"Where are they?!" Upamon huffed as he hopped back and forth on the floor. "They are coming back, right?!"

"I hope so," said Poromon, fluttering around the ceiling with his tiny wings.

"They are coming back," DemiVeemon said, motioning to the clock on the wall. "See? It's a quarter to two o' clock. That's when school ends."

"They just need some time to take care of their school things and then they'll be right over," Gatomon assured the two Digimon. Just then, the five Digimon heard footsteps approaching the computer lab and they immediately hid. The door slid open and three pairs of legs walked in; three pairs of legs that were recognizable.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Bokutachi, Digimon!)

"DAVIS!" DemiVeemon cried excitedly, leaping out of his hiding place and into Davis's arms.

"Hey, easy on the arm, buddy! It's still a little sore!" Davis said as he returned the hug.

"Is everybody doing all right?" Kari asked the Digimon.

"We're fine, but where's Yolei?" Poromon asked curiously, noticing only three humans had walked in.

"Yeah, and Cody too?" asked Upamon.

"I don't know about Cody, but Yolei said she was getting something from her locker, and then she was coming here," answered TK.

"What was she getting?" Davis's question was answered moments later when Yolei came running into the computer room with a plastic bag in her hands.

"Sorry about the delay, but I brought this!" Yolei placed the bag on the floor and opened it up, revealing numerous treats and drinks inside.

"Wow!" TK gasped at the bag. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I got it at the convenience store my parents run," said Yolei. "I figured our Digimon could do with a little snack before we go into the Digital World."

"That's a good idea," said TK. "Digimon can be bottomless pits."

"Especially the In-Training ones," Davis noted before asking Yolei, "so your family actually runs a convenience store?"

"Yeah, it's on the first floor of the apartment building I live in," said Yolei. "I have to pay for anything I take there, and I work the counter on weekends. It's not easy work, I tell you."

"What is this stuff?" Upamon asked as he looked at the bag with Poromon. In the bag were small packets with tubes sticking out of them, and rectangular blocks wrapped up in paper and shiny stuff.

"This is food!" DemiVeemon said as he grabbed a candy bar and ripped off the wrapper with his teeth before biting into it. "See? It's good!"

"Well, if it's good, then let me at it!" Upamon said excitedly, grabbing a juice packet out of the bag and sucked down the liquid. What he tasted was sweet tasting goodness.

"It's so yummy! It's really, really great!" Patamon and DemiVeemon gave off noises of agreement as they ate, Gatomon giving off a deadpan expression while not eating anything. Poromon hesitated as he looked at the sloppy way the other Digimon were eating, but decided to risk it anyway since he was hungry. Pulling out a juice packet with his beak, Poromon sucked up a bit of juice, feeling the sugary goodness.

"OH, IT'S GOOD! IT'S SO GOOD! IT'S DELICIOUS!" the little bird Digimon whooped as he flew circles around the computer lab, his wings fluttering like a hummingbird's, before he crashed into Upamon, the two Digimon excitedly eating more food from the bag, even eating the cardboard.

"Suddenly, I'm worried about our future…" Gatomon said flatly, finally deciding to eat a candy bar.

"So, where's Cody at anyway?" asked Davis. "Did you see him on your way here?"

"Yeah, he was still eating his lunch in his classroom," said Yolei. "He said he wouldn't leave until he finished. Cody never leaves a meal unfinished…even if it makes him sick." The lavender haired girl grimaced as she remembered Cody being over for dinner at her place one night. He ate everything that was offered to him, he accidentally puked on Yolei because he ate too much. The scene was not pretty.

* * *

In his classroom, Cody looked down at the last piece of food on his tray, a single cherry tomato. He was no longer hungry and he knew everyone was waiting for him in the computer lab, especially Upamon…but he wouldn't leave until the tomato was eaten.

"You know, you don't have to eat the tomato, Cody," said the teacher, who was the only other person in the classroom besides the young boy.

"I know…but my late father always said that one must never waste good food…even if they're not hungry anymore," Cody said with a contemplative look.

"Ah…I see…" the teacher said with a nod. Cody continued rolling the tomato with his fork, until it split in half by accident. Frowning slightly, he picked up one of the halves with his fork and stared at it intently, not sure what to think.

* * *

"So, what can we do while we wait for Cody?" asked Kari.

"Well, we can do what most people do when they're bored," Yolei replied, typing a little on the computer. "We can watch the news!"

"That's lame," Davis said with a sigh. "The news only covers bad things like natural disasters and crimes, and they usually exaggerate on a lot of stories just so they can get attention and boost their ratings!"

"Hey, it's not all that bad!" Yolei insisted as she scrolled down the news website and brought up a video. "Sometimes, the news can be exciting! Just look at this video!" TK, Kari and Davis looked over to see the video was about the recent national computer programming contest.

"A computer contest?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, I watch those sorts of things all the time for tips on computers…plus I hope to give that contest a try one of these days," Yolei replied, clicking the play button. The video loaded and showed an image of a brown-haired woman standing in front of a building with a microphone in hand.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

"Well, the national computer programming contest was held the other day, and the results are in," said the reporter, "and the winner this year was the young boy genius Ken Ichijouji." Davis's eyes widened greatly as he heard the name and the camera changed to a boy that the bearer of Miracles recognized instantly: light skin, midnight blue hair, and purplish-blue eyes were the features of this boy wearing a pale-grey school uniform.

"Ken, how do you feel about winning this contest?" the reporter asked the boy.

"Well, I must admit, I was very surprised when I heard that a kid like me won this contest," said Ken, a small smile on his lips.

"We also interviewed Professor Shotsuki of Jyonan University, who was one of the judges for this contest," said the reporter, now standing with an elderly man with gray hair and a matching beard. "Professor, what did you think of young Ken's program?"

"Well, I was very impressed and surprised about a program like that being made by an elementary school student," said the professor. "I'm sure he has a bright future ahead of him."

While the four Digidestined watched the broadcast, Cody entered the computer lab and picked up Upamon, who was happy to see his partner again.

The broadcast then shifted to a video of Ken standing a chamber, surrounded by more than a dozen tables with chessboards on them, before switching to one of Ken standing in front of a chalkboard, doing a massive math problem.

"Ken is definitely not a stranger when it comes to intellectual aspirations. The other day, he played – and won – twenty games of chess against adults simultaneously. Not only is he good with computers and schoolwork, but he's also good with sports, carrying a black belt in judo, and being the captain of his school's soccer team." The broadcast then showed Ken in a judo room throwing a man twice his size over his shoulder like it was child's play, and scoring a major goal on a soccer field. As Davis watched the video, he was surprised at all of Ken's achievements. He knew Ken was a smart boy from their days together in the Digital World, but he didn't think he would be this smart or athletic. Then again, it had been three years since they had last seen each other, and it was possible the older Ken got, the smarter and more athletic he became.

"I'm here now with Ken's parents," the reporter said as she stood next to an average-looking man with dark hair, and a short plump woman with brown hair. "Tell me, is there some sort of way that you raise your son to be like this? Does he have some sort of strict regimen?"

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Mrs. Ichijouji said with a chuckle. "We just raised him like any parents would their own child."

"I know," Mr. Ichijouji said, laughing sheepishly. "It's like the ugly duckling laying a golden egg, am I right?"

"It's really hard to believe that people like Ken Ichiouji exist," Cody finally said, getting everyone except Davis to look at him in surprise.

"Cody, when did you get here?!" asked Kari.

"A minute ago, actually," said the young boy.

"Well, he does exist," Yolei said, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I bet he could program my computer any day!"

"Ew, Yolei!" Cody said with a look of disgust. "That just…sounds wrong!"

"What? I don't mean it like that!" said Yolei, realizing what she just said. "I bet I could learn a lot of things from him!" TK looked away from the computer and noticed Davis looking off in the distance with a faraway look on his face, set in a frown.

"Hey…Davis?" TK shook Davis's shoulder lightly to get his attention. "Are you okay? You didn't seem surprised when Cody talked."

"Huh? Oh…yeah, I'm fine," Davis said with a shake of his head. "I was just thinking about…old days…"

"What, your days in the Digital World?" Cody asked curiously. "Davis, I'm curious, what exactly were your days like in the Digital World?" Davis looked hesitant as he turned his gaze from Yolei to Cody. He didn't want them to find out yet about Millenniummon. It was their second day, after all.

"When you're ready…I'll tell you." Deciding to accept that as an answer, Cody and Yolei both nodded. TK looked over at Davis and thought about Matt's advice from last night about talking with Davis and Kari. The child of Hope decided to do it after they returned from the Digital World today. He would talk with Kari first, and then Davis.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's get back to the Digital World!" Davis said, holding his D-3 up before the computer. "Digital Gate, open!" The screen flashed, and the children and Digimon entered the Digital World once again.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

In Tamachi, Ken Ichijouji walked down the streets to his apartment, his classes done for the day. The spring day was warm, but Ken felt comfortable in his gray school uniform with his school bag in hand. As he walked, he felt something brushing up against his leg. Stopping near a bar, the boy looked down to see a small brown puppy was by his feet, panting as he looked up at him with warm eyes.

"Beat it," Ken snapped with ice-cold eyes. "You're soiling my shoes and my uniform." Drawing his foot back, Ken sent the puppy flying through the air with a kick. Landing on the pavement a good six feet away from Ken, the small animal yelped in terror as he took off. A satisfied chuckle escaped Ken's lips as he continued his journey home.

Entering his apartment, Ken walked down the hallway to his bedroom. As he passed the doorway to the living area, he stopped when he noticed his mother lay down a tray holding some milk and a slice of cake on the table.

"Oh, hello, Ken!" the woman said as she noticed her son. "I have to go to work soon, so I left your snack on the table."

"…that's fine," Ken muttered, continuing to his room.

"So, how as school today?" Ken stopped again and it took everything he had to not sigh exasperatedly. She always asked him this question every day, and it sometimes irritated him.

"Good as always," he said, keeping the disdain in his voice to a minimum.

Hearing the clicking of a door, the woman looked up to see her son had entered his bedroom, closing the door behind him. She sighed, thinking about all of the time Ken had been spending in his room as of late. But she supposed it was natural; he was a genius, and the school probably gave him extra homework to do.

But little did she or her husband know that Ken was not doing homework…

* * *

In the Digital World, a black obelisk gleamed brightly, signaling the area it was in was controlled by the Digimon Emperor. Said boy was standing on a tree branch, looking out in the forest as he admired it for a moment before hearing a rustling noise. Looking down, the Emperor was greeted with the sight of a scampering Floramon, a tan and purple Digimon with a red flower head and purple arms shaped like flowers. Pulling out his whip, the Emperor snapped it, and the Floramon ran faster, hearing the snap of the whip in the air. The flower Digimon ran into a bush to hide, but she was already caught.

"There's no use hiding from me!" the Emperor said, jumping off of the tree branch. "Come out now!" Floramon ran out of the bush and away from the Emperor with a terrified shriek. As the Emperor watched with a smirk, Wormmon appeared behind him.

"Shall…shall I chase him?" he asked, albeit hesitantly.

"No!" said the Emperor. "Let me. It's been a while since I've had a good chase." The Emperor whistled loudly, and the sound of loud stomping indicated the arrival of a Tyrannomon, a red Digimon resembling the Tyrannosaurus Rex, with a Dark Ring on his neck.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Ijou Jatei Hassei!)

"Tyrannomon, give me a lift and go after that Floramon." Tyrannomon nodded and picked up the Emperor, placing him on his shoulder before stomping after the Floramon.

The flowery Digimon panted as she continued running, but the Tyrannomon was persistent, and continued after her. It soon became all for naught as Tyrannomon's shadow now obscured Floramon's own shadow. Once he had the Floramon in range, the Emperor lashed out with his whip and struck Floramon in her leg.

"AGH!" Floramon screamed as she felt the whip slice her leg open, and she crumpled to the ground. But she was determined to not be captured, and continued limping.

"Good," the Emperor said, striking Floramon in the back. "It's no fun if you get caught right away." Floramon collapsed, breathing heavily as tears rolled down her face from the pain she was in.

"Take her now, Stingmon." The green insect man dropped down from the sky in front of Floramon. As he reached his hand out to grab the Floramon…

"SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!" a voice rang out. Stingmon turned his head to the side and was blasted by a blast of electricity. Another electric blast struck Tyrannomon, who staggered back and nearly caused the Emperor to fall to the ground.

"What was that?!" The Digimon Emperor's question was answered when a red and blue Digimon with long ears and nine tails leaped out of his hiding place and landed on the ground, standing over the injured Floramon in a protective stance.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saa, Hashiridasou!)

"You!" the Emperor growled, recognizing his attacker instantly. The Digimon was an Elecmon. The Emperor knew this as he had captured several Elecmon, but this one was a different Elecmon. Unlike most Elecmon, this one had three scars running down his chest, and a sword hung by his side. The Digimon Emperor confronted him shortly after he began his takeover of the Digital World, and every time, Elecmon evaded capture and managed to help many Digimon escape from being captured.

"It's bad enough you enslave Digimon, Emperor, but to do something like this?" growled Elecmon. "Where's your sense of honor, you coward?"

"Coward, am I?!" the Emperor asked angrily.

"If you must attack Digimon like this, and use your slaves to fight them for you, then that is what you are: A coward, not an Emperor." The purple-haired boy growled angrily. Elecmon had been a thorn in his side for the last few months, but this was something else.

"You know, I was thinking about making you one of my slaves, since you seem to be quite a fighter, unlike most Elecmon," the Emperor said as he nodded to Stingmon, the insectoid Digimon slowly extending the spike on his right arm, "but I think the Digital World would be better off without you!"

"SPIKING FINISH!" Elecmon's ears had picked up the sound of Stingmon's spike extending, so he was prepared and leapt into the air to avoid being stabbed. The mammal Digimon planted his feet on the trunk of a nearby tree and launched himself at Stingmon, knocking him back with a powerful headbutt. The Emperor pulled out his whip and attempted to strike Elecmon while he was dealing with Stingmon, but Elecmon drew his sword out and swung it, slicing the Emperor's whip in two.

"Impossible!" Taking advantage of the Emperor's distraction, Elecmon quickly gathered the wounded Floramon in his arms and bounded out of the forest. The Emperor growled at Elecmon's retreating form before turning to Stingmon.

"Don't just stand there! Go after him!" Stingmon reluctantly nodded and took flight. He didn't want to do this, but Ken was his partner, and he would do whatever Ken wanted…even if it meant helping him take over the Digital World.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

In another part of the forest, far from the Emperor, the Digidestined emerged from the Digital Gate, landing on their feet. Upon landing, Yolei and Cody looked over to where their partners landed, and were surprised at what they saw.

"Hey, you guys changed back!" Yolei spoke true, as Hawkmon and Armadillomon stood in place of Poromon and Upamon, and DemiVeemon was back to being Veemon.

"Strange," noted Patamon, looking over himself and Gatomon. "They De-Digivolve when they're in the Human World, but we're still the same."

"It may be because we've been to the Human World before, and they haven't," Gatomon theorized. "It may take a while for them to get used to it."

Before the Digidestined could continue thinking, the sound of beeping filled the air.

"Whose Digivice is that?" Davis asked, looking at his Digivice, which lay dormant in his hands. Yolei and Cody both shook their heads, as their Digivices were not making the noise, but Kari and TK both had looks of shock on their faces.

"It's…it's coming from both of our Digivices," TK said. The other Digidestined huddled together with Kari and TK, noticing that both the bearers of Hope and Light's Digivices were beeping, each showing a yellow dot on the screen.

"The last time that happened, Yolei and I got our Digimentals!" Cody gasped, realizing what it meant. "And our D-3s were the only ones that detected the signals!"

"Then if that's true…" Yolei started, getting what Cody was saying.

"There are Digimentals meant for me and Kari!" TK gasped, excitement running through his body. Finally, he could help out in the Digital World! "They're forty miles from here! Come on!"

"TK, wait for me!" Patamon called, flying after his partner as fast as he could.

"Wait for all of us!" Davis said annoyingly.

"I don't get it," Kari said in a confused tone. "Our Digivices are the old model. How can TK and I have Digimentals if they're for holders of the D-3?"

"We'll have to find out when we get there," Davis answered. "Now let's get going before we lose sight of TK."

"Right!" everybody said, following after Davis, who was following TK's footsteps.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Sousa)

Elecmon jumped and weaved over trees and plants as best he could with the wounded Floramon on his shoulders while dodging the needles fired from Stingmon's Moon Shooter. The red mammal Digimon kept his eyes forward as he followed a stream of water that he knew led to a waterfall. It was a risk with Floramon, but he knew it would get Stingmon off his back. As he made a sharp turn and leapt out of the forest to lose Stingmon, his grip on Floramon loosened slightly, but he managed to straighten out the plant Digimon before continuing his run.

Right before he could make it to the very edge, a number of needles landed in the ground before him. Growling slightly, Elecmon turned to see Stingmon land in front of him, standing at his full height.

"I do not want to fight you Elecmon, and I do not want to hurt you. If you surrender to me, perhaps I can persuade my partner to spare you." Elecmon's eyes widened slightly, not just upon hearing what Stingmon just said, but also from the sincere honesty in his voice.

"I believe you," he said, placing Floramon down gently so he could look at Stingmon full in the eye. "I must ask you, why do you do this if you know it is wrong?"

"Because it is my duty as a partner Digimon. I must stand by the Digimon Emperor, my partner, no matter what." Stingmon meant what he said. Looking down at Elecmon, the insect man could see the small Rookie was thinking about something with a far off look on his face, before he shook his head and looked up at Stingmon.

"I can see where you're coming from…but I'm afraid I cannot surrender…not until I see her again."

"Her? Her who?" asked a confused Stingmon. Elecmon said nothing as he grabbed Floramon and leapt over the needles, falling into the water below. Shocked at what he saw, Stingmon took flight and looked down at the bottom of the waterfall. He saw no sign of Elecmon or Floramon anywhere, and he knew Ken would not be happy when he received the news. As he flew back, Stingmon looked down in the forest and stopped suddenly when he saw ten familiar figures in the far distance. Speeding up his flight, Stingmon landed after a minute of flying before Ken, who stood on Tyrannomon's shoulder.

"Well? Where are the Digimon?" Ken asked impatiently.

"I…I lost them over the falls," Stingmon answered honestly, wincing under Ken's piercing glare, "but…I did see Davis and the other Digidestined nearby!" Ken's glare faded as he pulled out his black D-3 and stared at the screen. Sure enough, there were five dots on the screen, indicating the Digidestined had arrived.

"Such a pain…" Ken muttered angrily, pressing a button on his D-3 to call in some extra Digimon. "It's time to take care of them. Stingmon…you know what to do."

"Yes…I do," Stingmon said sadly. He really hated this, but he had to do it.

* * *

As the five Digidestined continued through the woods, they couldn't help but notice how much darker and thicker it became as they trudged. Kari shuddered slightly; whatever friendly feeling the woods had before was now replaced with foreboding. Fortunately, she had Davis and her friends with her, so it wasn't all scary.

"We're almost there," TK said with eagerness. "We're ten miles away from here."

"What's with you?" Armadillomon asked the blond-haired boy, who looked happy about something.

"Oh, it's…it's nothing," TK said, getting looks from everybody, though he didn't notice them as he was up front. Ever since they detected the two signals, TK looked like Christmas had come early. Though Davis, Yolei, Cody and their partners had no idea why TK was like this, Patamon did, and judging from the looks on Kari and Gatomon's faces, it was possible they knew as well.

"All right guys, let's stick together," Davis said, motioning for everyone to come closer. "We don't know what will attack us out here…"

"Well, well. If it isn't the wannabes." The group of ten yelled in surprise at the sound of the familiar voice. Turning around, they were greeted with the sight of the Digimon Emperor, standing off to the side as he glared at them through his sunglasses.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Anokoku no Hohoemi)

"YOU!" TK snarled, the good feeling that was inside him now gone upon seeing the Digimon Emperor. Charging forward and ignoring everybody's warnings, TK swung his fist for the Emperor's face…and went right through him, falling to the ground.

"Yes…me," the Emperor said simply.

"AGH! He's a ghost!" Yolei screamed, realizing now that she could see the trees through the Emperor. "Please don't possess me, oh evil spirit!"

"Yolei, he's not a ghost," Davis said with a sigh. "It's a hologram."

"Oh," Yolei said, embarrassed at her outburst. "I…I knew that!" Cody and Hawkmon couldn't help but roll their eyes at the same time.

"I have to admit, you Digidestined have proven to be quite formidable adversaries," said the Emperor, "but like I told you yesterday, I am far more powerful than you make me out to be."

"Why? Just because you use the powers of darkness?" TK asked angrily. "You're a Digidestined like us! You shouldn't be plunging the Digital World into darkness!"

"And why shouldn't I?" asked the Emperor. "It's simple, really. Light and darkness are like the sides of a coin; neither can exist without the other. If there is no darkness, the light will obliterate everything with its pure, unadulterated brightness. And if there is no light, the darkness will envelop everything in shadow. And you are all fools in believing only one of those things can exist while the other cannot."

"What are you saying?" asked Cody.

"I know the history of the Digital World and the Digidestined," said the Emperor. "Long ago, five children came here to fight Apocalymon and his servants the Dark Masters. There are little to no records of the original Digidestined, but had they not sealed away Apocalymon, the darkness would have enveloped all."

"And then came eight more Digidestined, two of them are among us," the Emperor nodded to TK, who looked angry at the Emperor, and Kari, who was scared and confused. "They too fought Apocalymon and they managed to destroy him. The Digital World was at peace…but it was not to last. There had to be darkness to counter the light, and it came…in the form of Millenniummon." TK, Kari and Davis did their best to suppress a shudder; just thinking about Millenniummon brought up dark memories. Yolei and Cody looked at their shuddering friends with worry. Whoever this Millenniummon was that the Emperor just spoke up was definitely not a friendly Digimon.

"Millenniummon began plunging everything into darkness after he captured the eight Digidestined, and a new Digidestined had to be called in to defeat Millenniummon, but the mad Digimon remained alive, and the new Digidestined was called back with two others and they defeated Millenniumon." Davis looked nervous, that was when he and Ken became Digidestined. And if the Digimon Emperor was who he thought he was, then chances are his secret was about to be exposed…

"What exactly does this have to do with you?" asked Hawkmon.

"I'm getting to that!" the Emperor snapped angrily. "After the second fall of Millenniummon, I became a Digidestined and received my black Digivice." Davis looked surprised at what the Emperor said. He knew it was him, so it was possible he may be lying about when he became a Digidestined.

"And when I received my black D-3, I had a vision of everything fallen into chaos if the Digital World was not balanced properly. Since there was too much light here in the Digital World, I have decided to…dim the lights." The hologram suddenly fizzled out with an electronic crackle and a loud growl made everyone turn around to see a Tyrannomon stomp towards them, the Emperor on its shoulder.

"…and unfortunately, you Digidestined are in my way! I shall bring back the proper order this world needs!"

"No!" TK yelled angrily. The Emperor's words had struck a very sensitive nerve in the blond-haired boy, and he was livid. "I won't let you use darkness, Digidestined or not! It's unforgiveable!"

"You talk strong for somebody who's weak," the Emperor said, his sunglasses gleaming dangerously in the sunlight. "You will be the first to go! Tyrannomon, kill him!"

"NO!" Kari screamed as Tyrannomon opened his mouth and yelled out, "FIRE BREATH!", releasing a stream of flames at TK, who suddenly felt fear as he saw the hot flames come for him…

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR, ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON, ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!" Leaping forward, Flamedramon stood with his back to TK as he let the Tyrannomon's flames engulf him. The armored dragon man simply chuckled as he absorbed the flames into his body.

"Nice try, 'your highness!'" Flamedramon said in a mocking tone. "But flame attacks are like a tickle!" The Emperor simply smirked at Flamedramon's boast, "I know about your flame absorption abilites, since I saw your fight with the Monochromon. That's why I came prepared!"

"SPIKING FINISH!" A flash of green came down from the sky and slashed at Flamedramon's chest. The dragon man grunted as he felt his armor scratch up from the attack. Glaring up at his attacker, Stingmon, Flamedramon leapt up and tackled Stingmon to the ground. Both fighting Digimon rolled away from the Digidestined and the Emperor, tumbling down a cliff.

"Flamedramon!" Davis yelled for his partner.

"Now that he's taken care of…" the Emperor said, snapping his whip into the air and summoning four more Tyrannomon from the forest.

"Damn it! We're surrounded!" Davis cursed, looking around the battlefield. "Yolei, Cody, Armor Digivolve now!"

"You got it! DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLAPPING LOVE, HALSEMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR-DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)

"Take them down!" Davis yelled. Halsemon immediately took flight and knocked down one Tyrannomon with his Eagle Eye, but the red dinosaur stood back up almost immediately and released his Fire Breath. Halsemon dodged the fireball and released his Tempest Wing. The mini hurricane caught two Tyrannomon, but because of their bulky build, they weren't blown back at all.

"ROCK CRACKING!" Slamming his drills into the ground, Digmon split the earth open and three Tyrannomon fell into the gaping crack, but they crawled out almost immediately.

"LIGHTNING PAW!" Gatomon leapt up and delivered an uppercut to one Tyrannomon, but as she fell back to the ground, another Tyrannomon swung around and smacked Gatomon with his tail. Gatomon flew into a tree, and was blasted back further by another Tyrannomon's Fire Breath.

"Gatomon!" Kari yelled in concern, scooping up her hurt partner.

"Damn it…" Gatomon groaned in Kari's arms. "There's too many of them…even for me…" Kari could only watch the battle with worry. With Gatomon hurt, Patamon unable to Digivolve, and Flamedramon engaged in combat with Stingmon, it was practically two on five. The child of Light absolutely hated being useless.

"AIR SHOT!" Patamon attempted to fight a Tyrannomon that was trying to crush TK, but the blast of air had no effect. Growling at the minor annoyance, the Tyrannomon swung his arm out and smacked Patamon into TK, knocking the child of Hope off his feet.

"Patamon, are you okay?"

"No…I'm just a burden like this…" Patamon whined. TK could only clench his teeth in frustration as he ran over to the other Digidestined, who also looked frustrated at the battle.

"Now what do we do?" asked Yolei. Davis looked to see Halsemon fall out of the sky, hit by a Tyrannomon's Fire Breath, and Digmon attempt his Gold Rush, but the drills missed their target. He then heard sounds of a fight from behind him, no doubt Flamedramon's fight with Stingmon. Davis then looked over to TK and Kari, their partners in their arms. It then came to him.

"TK, Kari, keep following the signals. If the signals are Digimentals that belong to you, then they could certainly help us."

"Are you sure?" Kari asked skeptically.

"Yes, I'm sure," said Davis. "Halsemon and Digmon can hold off the Tyrannomon long enough for you to get the Digimentals."

"What about Flamedramon?" asked Cody. Davis hesitated, looking down the hill.

"I…I need to be with him," the burgundy-haired boy said with a torn look. While Yolei and Cody looked uncomfortable with Davis's decision to leave the more important fight, TK couldn't help but see a look in Davis's eyes; a familiar look that he knew all too well…

"I think we should listen to Davis," the child of Hope said, surprising everyone. "Kari and I will follow the signals and Davis will check up on Flamedramon while the others handle the Tyrannomon."

"Well…I can't say that idea is a good one, but if it can work…" Cody said with a nod, Yolei and Kari agreeing with him.

"Then go!" Davis said, leaping down the cliff to find Flamedramon.

"Kari, let's go!" TK said to the brown-haired girl. Kari nodded and the two Digidestined ran off, following the signals. However, their departure did not go unnoticed.

"I don't think so! Tyrannomon, after them!" barked the Emperor. Three Tyrannomon turned around and began lumbering after Kari and TK.

"We need to put some distance between them!" noted Cody. "Halsemon, Digmon!"

"I'm on it!" Halsemon said, turning his gaze to the three Tyrannomon. "UDJAT GAZE!" Yellow rings of energy flew out from his eyes, paralyzing the Tyrannomon temporarily upon contact. Digmon quickly used his Rock Cracking to create a fissure that would prevent the Tyrannomon from following the bearers of Hope and Light.

"Sorry, but you're not getting them!" Yolei said defiantly at the Emperor, who growled at the opposition. They may not be as strong as Davis, but these two new Digidestined could definitely prove a problem to him in the future.

* * *

"Flamedramon!" Davis yelled, hearing the sounds of fighting and yelling as he ran. A loud crash filled his ears, and all was suddenly quiet…deathly quiet…and Davis didn't like it. Running again, Davis stopped when he saw Flamedramon pinned down underneath a tree.

"Davis…watch out…" Flamedramon groaned from underneath the tree. The fast beating of insect wings alerted Davis to the presence of Stingmon, who flew out from behind a tree and grabbed Davis, pinning him up against a tree with one big hand.

"Hello…Davis," said the green insect man. Davis gasped upon hearing his name, looking up at Stingmon's eyes. Even though they were compound eyes and couldn't move or show much emotion, it was clear they carried a familiar warmth…a familiar sadness. Seeing it up close and personal himself, Davis was done denying it.

"It is you, isn't it, Stingmon?" The insect man nodded, confirming their suspicions. Davis could only feel shock and heartbreak at the revelation finally being confirmed.

"Stingmon, what's going on here? What's happened to Ken? Why's he acting like this?"

(Play Omoi: The Biggest Dreamer)

"I don't know," Stingmon said sadly, letting Davis go and backing away. "It all started two years ago. Ken showed up one day, his Digivice had changed into a design similar to yours. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was going to bring order to the Digital World as its Emperor. It was mostly small stuff at first, like going around and persuading Digimon to bring darkness and destruction upon the Digital World, but none of them listened."

"So when did he start with all the Control Spires and enslavement?"

"He started it a few months ago," Stingmon answered. "I have absolutely no idea how he was able to do all of this. When I asked him, he said he was a genius. I know Ken was always a smart boy…but this is something else."

"And did it ever occur to you that what he's doing is completely wrong?!" Flamedramon asked angrily, struggling under the tree.

"Don't think for a minute that that though hasn't occurred to me," Stingmon said sharply. "I know that what's happening here is wrong, and something's not right with Ken, but it doesn't change the fact that deep down, Ken is still a Digidestined, and I am his partner, which means I must do what he wants from me…and if that means fighting you…then I'll do it as well."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

Flamedramon's eyes softened in understanding before hardening with battle. "So be it, then." Igniting the flames on his body, Flamedramon burned the tree off of him and rammed into Stingmon, knocking him into the forest with his Fire Rocket. As Davis watched the two Digimon continue their battle, he understood now why Stingmon was helping Ken…but he still didn't know how this happened to Ken. He couldn't possibly be doing this of his own free will. Izzy was right, some dark force had to have been controlling him. But the question was…who?

* * *

"Hurry, into that cave!" TK said to Kari. The two Digidestined had continued after the signals on their Digivices, the sounds of battle growing more faint. Eventually, they came into a cave, where their signals were leading them to. As Kari ran, she was completely confused at the way TK had been acting the last few days. Yesterday, he didn't want anything to do with Davis, and looked upset about something. Today though, he looked guilty sometimes and sad about something, but when their Digivices picked up the Digimental signals, TK looked excited and happy. It confused her to no end.

"TK, are you okay?" asked the brown-haired girl. "You've been acting weird the last few days." TK stopped as they walked into the cave, his shoulders slumping. "Yesterday, you wouldn't go along with Davis's plans, and today you're actually agreeing with him."

"You noticed it as well, huh?"

"It wasn't that hard to notice," noted Gatomon. "What's your story?" TK sighed, looking down at his Digivice and said, "I really didn't want to do this now, but I guess I'll get it out of the way with you: I'm sorry…I shouldn't have let my jealousy get the better of me."

"Jealousy?" asked a puzzled Kari. TK nodded and looked at Kari with a guilty look on his face.

(Play Digimon: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"Yes…I guess…I guess I was jealous of you being friends with Davis. I've always considered you my best friend, and when I came back to Odaiba, I was hoping to spend more time with you and catch up, but you've been spending more time with Davis…and I guess what I did yesterday was an immature act on my part. I really am sorry." Kari could only stand in complete surprise. She had no idea that TK was jealous of her and Davis being best friends. In fact, TK never really struck her as the jealous type.

"TK…is that true?"

"Yes…I'm afraid it is true," TK said with a sad nod. "And I guess I was also just upset about not being able to do much to help out in the Digital World. This anti-Digivolution thing the Digimon Emperor set up has been keeping me from helping out more, since our brothers and the older kids have stuff to do outside of school. With this Digimental, I can help out more and not be a burden."

"I…I understand," Kari said with a small nod. "I know how it feels, thinking that you're a burden. I know Gatomon is Champion level, and can hold her own very well, but from what we saw earlier, even she has her limits. Hopefully, whatever my Digimental is, it can help me be more of assistance." TK nodded in understanding before Kari continued.

"And TK…I'm sorry about not paying much attention to you. It's just Davis is my very best friend and I truly care about him. I care about you and the others…but Davis, well…he's different." TK had a feeling what Kari meant by that, but he simply nodded and said, "I understand, and I was hoping we could hang out sometime later?"

"Sure, but after we get the Digimentals," Kari reminded her friend, running off into the cave. Remembering why they were here, TK followed after Kari and the two Digidestined suddenly came to a small chamber. In the chamber was a small stone podium with two small objects: one was golden with wings and hair sticking out from the top, and a silver cylinder with cat paws on the bottom. And on the Digimentals were Crests that the two Digidestined recognized immediately.

"TK…those are our Crests!" Kari gasped.

"You're…you're right!" said TK. "So...does that mean these Digimentals are ours?"

"Maybe," said Patamon. "The Crest of Hope and the Crest of Light were always said to be special Crests."

"If that's the case, then let's try and pick them up." Kari walked up to the podium with TK. Once they were two feet away from the Digimentals, the Digivices in their pocket glowed brightly. Pulling out their Digivices, they were shocked to see them change before their eyes. In a flash of light, Kari's Digivice became a white D-3 with a pink grip, and TK's Digivice turned into a white D-3 with a green grip.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri Zen no Theme)

"Our Digivices…" gasped TK.

"…have become D-3s!" gasped Kari.

"Hurry and pick up the Digimentals!" said Gatomon, realizing what this meant. Kari and TK both nodded and picked up the Digimental with their respective Crest on it. Seconds later, the Digimentals glowed brightly. Kari and TK both looked at each other and nodded, knowing what to say.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"PATAMON ARMOR-DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR-DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LIGHT OF SMILES, NEFERTIMON!"

TK and Kari stared in awe at their partner's Armor levels. As his name suggested, Pegasusmon was an orange furred Pegasus with golden wings, pieces of the Digimental of Hope attached to his body as armor. Nefertimon was a sphinx Digimon with an Egyptian headpiece, white wings and armor on her front legs.

"Pegasusmon…" TK breathed in happiness, running a hand through his partner's mane. "Now we won't be a burden anymore."

"Good," said the winged horse. "I hate being left out."

"You look so beautiful, Nefertimon!" Kari said, wrapping her arms around her partner in a hug.

"Thank you Kari, but there will be time to admire later. Yolei and Cody need our help!"

"Right!" TK said, his face set in determination as he mounted Pegasusmon. "Let's fly!"

"Don't worry guys, we're coming!" Kari said from her place on Nefertimon's back. The armored Digimon charged out of the cave, spreading their wings and taking flight.

* * *

Meanwhile, the fight with the Tyrannomon had taken an ugly turn. The numbers eventually caught up with Halsemon and Digmon, and they had been forced to revert to Hawkmon and Armadillomon. Yolei and Cody could only hold their partners in their arms as the Tyrannomon cornered them on a cliff.

"If I were you, I'd surrender now," said the Emperor from his place on the lead Tyrannomon. "You have nowhere left to go."

"Fat chance!" yelled a defiant Yolei.

"Yolei, I don't think now's a good time to be your stubborn self," Cody said worriedly, looking down at the sheer drop of the cliff.

"FIRE ROCKET!" A loud yell caught everybody's attention and a flaming projectile flew into the air with a green shape. The two shapes landed on the ground, revealed to be Stingmon, whose armor was singed as he backed up to the Tyrannomon, and Flamedramon, breathing heavily as he stood between the Tyrannomon and Yolei and Cody.

"You want them…you'll have to get past me, boys!" the armored dragon said defiantly, Davis running over to join Yolei and Cody. The Emperor couldn't help but smirk at Flamedramon's defiance. It was just like him to stand in front of others and protect them.

"I must commend you for your attempts to continue fighting, but you don't seriously think you can continue fighting me like this, can you?" As the Emperor spoke, he remained oblivious to two winged figures in the distance. Flamedramon did however, and he simply smirked and said, "Actually, I'm just stalling."

"What?" Hearing the sound of flapping wings, the Emperor turned and gasped in shock, seeing Kari and TK fly in with two unknown Digimon, but it was clear who they were from their looks.

"Sorry we're late!" Kari said as Nefertimon and Pegasusmon flew down into the herd of Tyrannomon.

"EQUIS BEAM!"

"BEAM OF ISIS!"

Pegasusmon's brow lit up green and a beam of energy flew at the Tyrannomon while Nefertimon's headpiece released two beams of pink light that struck the Tyrannomon. The red dinosaur Digimon released their Fire Breath, but the experienced Digimon ducked and wove through the fire as they continued attacking.

"ROSETTA STONE!" Nefertimon's back lit up and a beam of light shot from it, releasing a giant stone tablet that knocked a Tyrannomon flat on his back.

"STAR SHOWER!" The bottom of Pegasusmon's wings turned black, and with a mighty flap, the wings released many stars that pelted the Tyrannomon and Stingmon, causing the Digimon Emperor to fall off.

"Amazing!" gasped Cody. "Patamon and Gatomon gained the ability to Armor Digivolve!"

"I wonder what that means for their Digivices," Davis said, looking down at his D-3.

"Damn!" the Emperor cursed, running over to Stingmon.

"Get me out of here now! This battle is lost, unfortunately." He thought he could deal with only three Digidestined, but now he had to deal with five Armor level Digimon. Stingmon nodded and scooped up his partner, taking flight as the battle continued.

"Hey, the Digimon Emperor's getting away!" said Armadillomon.

"Let him go," Flamedramon said before reverting to Veemon. "This fight is what matters now."

Despite being more powerful now, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon still had difficulty freeing the Tyrannomon.

"This is ridiculous!" said TK. "Every time we come close to freeing a Tyrannomon, another one gets in the way!"

"We have to find some way to free them all together at the same time, but how?" asked Kari. As the fight progressed, Cody opened up his D-Terminal to look up Pegasusmon and Nefertimon. What he found was some potentially useful information.

"Kari, TK! Pegasusmon and Nefertimon have a joint attack called Golden Noose! It creates a long golden rope to bind an enemy!"

"So if we use that…" Pegasusmon started, realizing what Cody was talking about.

"…we can end this fight!" finished Nefertimon.

"Do it!" TK and Kari both said. The two armor Digimon nodded and flew high in the air so the Tyrannomon's fire wouldn't touch them. As they flew by each other, their front leg armor glowed golden, and they realized this was what Cody was talking about.

"GOLDEN NOOSE!" The light formed from their leg armor turned into a long golden rope that flew down and wrapped around all five Tyrannomon, effectively binding them and trapping them.

"Finish it!" yelled Davis.

"MANE WIND!"

"NILE JEWELRY!"

Pegasusmon's mane hardened and he released countless hairs as Nefertimon fired red jewels from her legs. The numerous projectiles collided with all five Dark Rings, effectively destroying them.

"All right!" Kari and TK cheered, watching the Tyrannomon's struggles cease and their eyes turn bright blue again. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon landed on the ground before the three Digimon, letting their partners dismount before turning back into their previous forms.

"So you can actually perform Armor Digivolution now?" asked Hawkmon with interest.

"Yeah, and this happened when we got our Digimentals," said Kari, showing everyone her D-3. TK also showed his as well.

"What the…how did that happen?!" asked Davis.

"When we touched the Digimentals, our Digivices changed," said TK. "How and why they did it, I have no idea."

Davis looked confused as well. Not only did his Digivice change, but Kari and TK's did as well, and even Ken's. Would this mean the older kids' Digivices would change, or would they remain the same? Too many questions went through his head, but Davis still couldn't stop thinking about what Stingmon had said to him today.

"Yoo-hoo, Davis!" Blinking rapidly, the goggled boy looked over to Yolei, who was snapping her fingers repeatedly to get his attention. "What's up? You zoned out again."

"Oh, sorry, Yolei. I was just thinking…" Davis trailed off as the Digidestined returned home.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

Back home in the Human World, the five Digidestined sat in the computer lab as the Digimon ate the remaining snacks in Yolei's bag, reenergizing after a long, hard day.

"This Digimon Emperor is really getting on my nerves!" Yolei said with a glare, looking over at the more experienced members with Cody. "Did you ever have to deal with someone like him?"

"Loads of times," said TK, "but those were all evil Digimon. The Digimon Emperor is completely different. He's human, just like us!"

"And that means he lives here in the human world," said Cody. "But the problem is, we don't know who he is or where he lives."

"Well, judging from his language, he's Japanese," Davis said, "but where in Japan does he live?"

"Moreover, how do we deal with a human enemy?" asked Cody. "How did you deal with evil Digimon?"

"We had to kill them," Gatomon said simply. "They were simply too dangerous to remain alive. The existence of Apocalymon and his servants, the Dark Masters alone was able to warp and threaten the Digital World itself."

"They were that powerful?" Hawkmon asked, surprised upon hearing the white cat's words.

"You have no idea," Davis said gravelly, remembering the destruction Millenniummon caused. Sighing heavily, the burgundy-haired boy stood up from his chair and picked up DemiVeemon before heading out of the computer lab.

"There's nothing much we can do right now except sleep it off and think about our next move. Because for all we know…the Digimon Emperor is doing the same thing as well." The Digidestined simply nodded at Davis's words and left the school with their partners in their arms. As they walked, TK thought about when he would talk with Davis, and what he should say.

Far behind, Cody couldn't help but think about what the more experienced Digidestined said about having to kill Digimon, and their uncertainty of dealing with a human enemy. Though Cody was more mature than most of the kids in his class, he was still just a child. He never had the stomach for such violence; it had been like that for him since his father died. He could only wonder how they would handle this new threat before them, and if he could bring himself to do what needed to be done.

* * *

Upon leaving the school, Davis immediately headed to Tamachi to try and see Ken. To his disappointment, Ken's mother said Ken didn't want to be disturbed. Davis left, feeling dejected over what he had seen and learned today. Heading home, the burgundy haired boy talked with Jun, who seemed to have a heartbroken look on her face.

"Are…are you…holding up okay?" she asked once Davis had finished.

"I…I'm not sure," Davis said sadly. "My best friend has turned into a tyrannical dictator because some outside force may be controlling him, and I have to fight him. I…I can't help but feel like this is my fault in a way. I haven't spoken with Ken or seen him since our adventures in the Digital World. We tried to keep in contact, but…we just sort of fell out after Sam died. Had I been there for him…maybe…maybe I could have prevented this…now I have to stop this."

"Don't," Jun said, gripping her brother's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over this. There's no telling if you could have prevented this or not. What matters now is this: It's up to you now to rescue Ken from whatever's controlling him." Davis nodded, a small look of determination in his eyes.

"And don't forget, you're not alone in this," Jun said, leaving the bedroom. "Don't try doing everything in the Digital World by yourself." Davis simply sighed as he lay down in bed with DemiVeemon, the baby dragon looking like he was deep in thought.

"What's wrong, DemiVee?" Davis asked his partner.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Samayoi no Mori)

"I've been thinking about today, especially what Ken said," said DemiVeemon. "Is it just me, or did what he say sound…familiar?"

"You mean that what he was doing was ensuring the Digital World had order and chaos, as well as darkness and light?" asked Davis, suddenly remembering where he heard those words. "Those…those are the words that Millenniummon said when we fought him!"

"Exactly," DemiVeemon said gravelly. "Normally, I'd just say that would be a coincidence, but I don't think it is. I fear Ken is being controlled by Millenniummon."

"But…but that's impossible! We killed him, right?" Davis asked fearfully. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing that monstrous Digimon alive again.

"We did, but…what if we didn't fully kill him?" asked DemiVeemon. "What if he's controlling Ken?"

"If he is…then we have a major problem," Davis said, shivering slightly as he went to sleep with DemiVeemon. He could only think about what would happen tomorrow, and if Millenniummon was truly dead or not.

* * *

In the Ichijouji apartment, Ken Ichijouji grumbled as he typed on his computer keyboard. Today was not a good day for him at all. He thought he could finish off the two new Digidestined, as well as the child of Hope, while Davis and Flamedramon fought Stingmon, but not only did the child of Hope gain the ability to Armor Digivolve his partner, but the child of Light had managed to as well, and he had also lost his Tyrannomon brigade.

At the rate things were going, it wouldn't be long before they started tearing down his Control Spires. If they did that, then he would lose control over vast areas, and the original Digidestined would help out more as their Digimon would be able to Digivolve to their highest levels. Davis would be able to Digivolve Veemon to Mega as well if given the chance. And the last thing he needed was nine Digimon at the Mega level interfering with his plans.

"I'll have to accelerate my plans," he muttered darkly, shutting off his computer. It wouldn't be long before the Digital World was under his control, and his revenge would be exacted.

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 6


	7. Chapter 7: Power of the Spires

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 7

 **Before we begin, a thank you to Kronus18, PiccolaLilly17, OPIv2, Saalejandra, destiny chosen and piccolamania for the reviews and support. Enjoy the next chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

The new Digidestined returned to the Digital World, where the Digimon Emperor attacked them with a group of Tyrannomon and his partner Stingmon. While Davis and Flamedramon fought Stingmon, Yolei and Cody were overwhelmed by the strength and numbers. However, TK and Kari found Digimentals of their own and their Digivices became D-3s, allowing their partners to become Pegasusmon and Nefertimon, and win the day. However, the Digimon Emperor remains elusive…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Power of the Spires

In an area of the Digital World, a tall black obelisk stood, towering over all of the Digimon in the area. This was a sign of the Digimon Emperor's dominance over the control. Several Digimon at the Champion level, who the Emperor considered the strongest among his slaves, prowled around the area, Dark Rings on their bodies. The place they were guarding was a prison the Emperor had constructed for Digimon that he considered not strong enough or not useful enough to be his slaves. The prisoners mostly consisted of Gotsumon, Rookie Digimon whose bodies were made out of rocks, and Mushroomon, Digimon shaped like poisonous mushrooms and arms and legs.

On this day, Tai and Sora had come with the new Digidestined with Agumon and Biyomon to help out in any way they could in freeing the prisoners. Despite their partners being unable to Digivolve, the older Digidestined refused to sit on the sidelines as the younger ones fought. Plus, Matt, Mimi and Joe hadn't been reunited with their partners yet, and the Digidestined's trips were also searches for Gabumon, Palmon and Gomamon. To the surprise of the children, there were no Digimon guarding the prison at all, which enable them to rescue the Digimon with no problems at all.

"VEE-HEABUTT!" Veemon ran forward and rammed his hard head into the bars of one cell, shattering them and releasing the Gotsumon inside.

"DIAMOND SHELL!" Similar to Veemon, Armadillomon freed several Mushroomon by crashing into the bars. The difference was instead of attacking with a headbutt, the yellow Digimon curled up into a ball and rolled into the bars at a fast speed.

"FEATHER SLASH!" Pulling the feather on his head off of his headband, Hawkmon threw it like a boomerang. The feather whirled around as they sliced open the bars of another cell. Agumon, Biyomon, and Gatomon also assisted in breaking open cells with their attacks, while TK and Patamon kept an eye out for any attacking Digimon.

"Man," Yolei said as she watched the breakout happen, "we've been at this for a week now, and we've gotten next to nowhere in the Digital World!"

"Don't say that Yolei," Hawkmon assured his partner. "We have been able to free several Digimon today."

"Yeah, but…is it just me, or did this seem…too easy?" inquired Cody.

"Yeah, I'll say!" Armadillomon said cheerfully, missing the point of Cody's question. "None of us needed to Armor Digivolve!"

"No, I don't think that's what Cody meant," said TK. "Did you notice that there were no guards around here at all? It's like the Digimon Emperor wanted us to perform this breakout. I think he may be up to something."

"Exactly my point," said Cody. "I think the Emperor may be planning something."

"Davis, what do you think?" Kari asked, looking over to the burgundy-haired boy, who was looking off into the distance with a faraway look, snapped out of it when Kari asked her question.

"Huh? Sorry, I was lost. Did Cody say something about the Emperor letting this happen?"

"Yes," said Tai. "Cody and TK both think this whole thing was something the Digimon Emperor let happen since he may be planning something. What do you think?" Davis remained quiet, thinking it over. It did seem suspicious that Ken wasn't around to prevent them from rescuing the Gotsumon and Mushroomon, nor did he have any Digimon guarding the area. Just thinking about this made him think about all the times Millenniumon let Davis, Ryo and Ken win a number of battles, making them confident in their abilities, until he fought them himself and kicked them to the next week.

"Yeah…I have to agree. If the Emperor is planning something, then we need to get back home or else we will be ambushed again. We may have five Armor-level Digimon, but there's no telling what the Emperor will throw at us." The rest of the Digidestined nodded in confirmation, deciding that returning home would be the best choice right now.

"Hang on, what about the Gotsumon and Mushroomon?" asked Biyomon, motioning to the group of Digimon that were rolling around in the dirt and soaking in the sunlight, enjoying their regained freedom.

"Well…" Tai said, getting looks from everybody.

"That is a terrible idea," Sora said, suddenly realizing what her best friend was thinking.

"You have any other bright ideas?" asked Tai. Sora sighed, as well as Davis, Kari and TK, who realized as well what Tai's idea was.

"Well…let's get going!" Gatomon said, motioning for everyone to follow her and Veemon. As the Digidestined hurried back to the Digital Gate, Yolei noticed something shining in the distance. Turning around and looking at it, she noticed a giant black tower in the distance. The lavender-haired girl frowned. She had seen those towers before her last few trips into the Digital World, and she was confused. Were they a part of the Digital World?

"Hey, I have a question," Yolei said, getting everybody's attention. The glasses-wearing girl pointed to the tower and said, "What's the deal with those towers? I've been seeing those everywhere I go."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Those are Control Spires," said Gatomon, her ears dropped and her eyes narrowed. "Those are also the Digimon Emperor's doing. The presence of that tower means this area is under the Digimon Emperor's control. It emits an aura of darkness around the area."

"It's the reason why we've been unable to Digivolve," Agumon said sadly, referring to himself and Biyomon, the pink bird also looking down as well.

"Well, why don't we just destroy it then?" asked Cody. "If it's the cause of this whole Anti-Digivolution nonsense, then maybe destroying it will make the dark aura go away."

"Hmm…that could be an idea," said Tai, liking what Cody just said. "We bring these Control Spires down, and our Digimon could Digivolve again!"

"That would be good," agreed Sora. "I've really been hating this whole 'sitting on the sidelines' for us older kids."

"The next time we come here, we can try that theory out," said Davis. "Let's get back to the school for now. Izzy must be worrying about us." The Digidestined nodded and headed for the Digital Gate. Unknown to them, they were being watched by Wormmon, who was hiding in the trees. Sensing a great need of urgency, Wormmon crawled back to the base quickly and told Ken about what had happened.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

"So, the prison in that area has been liberated," Ken recapped, a small smirk on his lips. "No matter. I had no need for those Digimon. Besides, it's best to let Davis and his friends relish in this victory before I finish them off."

"Ken, there's something else you need to know," said Wormmon. "Davis and the others have gotten on about the Control Spires. They're planning to destroy one the next time they come here."

"Ha!" Ken laughed at Wormmon's statement. "Let them try." Ken turned around in his chair, looking up at a map on screen. The map was filled with squares, mostly colored black and white. The map was mostly filled up with white, but it was a close call with the black ones.

"The next Spire should be in place soon," Ken said, watching one square in particular. "Are you sure he's still there?"

"I am sure," said Wormmon, who thought to himself, 'though I'm hoping he'll be gone when we get there.'

"Good," Ken smiled. "The Digidestined never ignore a call from one of their own." Seconds later, the white square turned black, indicating Ken now had control over the area.

"Now we go!" Ken stood up from his chair and left the room, Wormmon at his heels.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the Digimon Emperor and Stingmon appeared before Santa Geria, a small town at the base of some rocky hills, the tallest hill housing the Control Spire that appeared moments ago. The two had not come alone, for they had brought a number of Vegiemon, foul-smelling yellow plant Digimon, with them.

"Hear me!" the Emperor announced to the villagers, all gathered up. "As you can see from that Control Spire up there," he motioned to the obelisk, "your village is now under my control. If you think you can resist me, you will only fall to my Vegiemon soldiers." The villagers, mostly consisting of Gazimon, gray rabbit-like Digimon, said nothing as the Vegiemon led them to the town prison. One Digimon among the prisoners was not a Gazimon. He was a yellow reptile Digimon with a horn on his head, and wore a silver and blue fur pelt. This Digimon was Gabumon, and he had only one thought going through his mind.

'Matt…where are you?'

* * *

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Izzy shouted at the Digidestined when they came through the Digital Gate, each carrying a Gotsumon or Mushroomon under their arms.

"Well…there wasn't any choice," Tai said sheepishly.

"This is absolutely insane!" Izzy said, running a hand through his short red hair. "You can't bring the Digimon here!"

"But what about us?" Tentomon asked, buzzing near Izzy.

"No, I'm not talking about you, Tentomon," Izzy said, realizing he said it wrong. "I'm talking about the Gotsumon and Mushroomon!"

"You wanted them to be captured again?" asked Cody. Izzy stayed quiet, realizing the younger boy had a point.

"But what should we do with them?" Sora asked worriedly. "What if a teacher comes in here?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Wonderland)

"I talked it over with Tai, and we came up with an idea!" Cody turned to the group of Digimon. "All right, poses!" The Gotsumon and Mushroomon all froze in place, each one in a different position.

"Well?" Upamon asked excitedly. "Don't they look like statues?"

"Good grief," Tentomon muttered. "I think I see what Izzy's going on about. We can't bring every Digimon here to the Human World!"

"This is only a temporary thing," said DemiVeemon. "We may have an idea about keeping them safe in the Digital World!"

"And that is?"

"Those black towers called the Control Spires," said Davis. "They not only prevent the Digimon from Digivolving, but they also mark the Digimon Emperor's dominance over an area. We figured if we destroy one, the area will be free and our Digimon can Digivolve again!"

"Hmm…" Izzy thought this over, realizing this could be beneficial to the Digidestined. "I suppose if that happened, we could send the Digimon back…but what should we do with them until then?"

TK thought for a moment…and then it came to him.

"Let me talk to Matt; maybe he can hide them in some of his music cases until tomorrow." As TK raced out of the door, Davis could only look out the window, deep in thought.

'What are you up to exactly, Ken?'

* * *

"Stingmon, let's move out!" the Emperor said to his partner. "We have more areas to take over!" Stingmon nodded and flew off with his partner on his back. Gabumon watched from his cell window, several Gazimon occupying the cell with him. The moment Stingmon became nothing but a black speck in the sky, Gabumon turned to the other Gazimon.

"All right, now's our chance to escape!"

"Escape?!" One Gazimon looked at Gabumon like he had just lost his head. "Are you insane?!"

"The Digimon Emperor's taken over our whole town!" said another Gazimon.

"Yeah, with Vegiemon!" noted Gabumon, looking at the Gazimon with a stern expression. "All those guys do is fling poo! I know it smells bad, but you can bear it, can't you?"

"Well…he does have a point," said a third Gazimon, mulling it over. "Vegiemon may be Champion levels, but they are relatively weak."

"Plus, this is our town!" said a fourth Gazimon, a fire burning in his eyes. "That Emperor thinks he can take over our town and get away with it?! We'll show him!"

"That's the spirit!" said Gabumon, admiring the Gazimon that wanted to escape. "Besides, the Digidestined have also returned, and they'll be able to help us!"

"Well, when you put it that way…" the first Gazimon said slowly before breaking into a grin. "…let's get out of here!"

"All right!" Gabumon turned around and breathed deep, his sight on the door. The Gazimon also aimed their attacks as well.

"BLUE BLASTER!"

"ELECTRIC STUN BLAST!"

Gabumon's attack, a stream of blue flames, and the Gazimon's attacks, a blast of electric energy blasted the prison door off its hinges, flattening the Vegimon guarding it.

"Run now!" Gabumon and the Gazimon immediately sprinted for the town exit, surprised at the lack of guards stopping them…

…until a spiked green bulb flew from out of nowhere and smacked Gabumon in the chest. The fur-wearing Digimon was knocked off his feet and fell into the Gazimon, knocking them off their feet as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"Nice try, but did you really think the Digimon Emperor had only Vegiemon in this town?" asked the owner of the bulb. Gabumon and the Gazimon looked up, and saw the Digimon was a RedVegiemon. As his name suggested, he was a red version of Vegiemon, as well as more powerful.

'Damn it…' Gabumon cursed in his thoughts. Vegiemon he could handle with the Gazimon, but RedVegiemon was in another league. If he had Matt with him and the Control Spire wasn't in place, he could Digivolve to Garurumon. But in his current form, he had no chance of winning.

"Trying to escape is an offense to me in this town!" RedVegiemon said, raising up his arms. "So for that, you get one hundred hits, fur boy! SPIKE PUNCH!" The red vegetable Digimon stretched out with his arms, and began striking Gabumon over and over again, counting each hit. The Gazimon could only watch in horror as they were surrounded by Vegiemon. They closed their eyes and attempted to cover their ears to block out Gabumon's yells of pain, but their ears were more advanced, and they could hear everything.

"Seventy-three!" RedVegiemon continued his beatings, but on number seventy-three, Gabumon was sent off the cliff and into the water with a pained yell.

"Oops, I guess I hit too hard," said RedVegiemon, looking down to see no sign of Gabumon.

"Should we go get him?" asked a Vegiemon.

"Nah, I doubt he's still alive," RedVegiemon said, grinning nastily at the Gazimon. "And let that be a lesson to anyone who opposes the Digimon Emperor!" The Gazimon slumped in defeat, hoping that Gabumon was right and the Digidestined would be here soon to free them.

As much as RedVegiemon believed Gabumon was dead, the fur-wearing reptile did not go down easily. Pulling himself out of the river with whatever strength he had left, Gabumon noticed a television set several feet from him, recognizing it from his time in the Human World. He had heard rumors that the Digidestined used it to travel between worlds. If that was true, then he could use it to send a distress message to Matt.

"I…I can't die…" he gasped, dragging himself towards the television. "I have to…tell them…Matt…everybody…"

When he was three feet away from the television set, Gabumon collapsed, losing the strength to go on, and fell unconscious. Fortunately, the screen came on with static as it sensed Gabumon's status as a Digidestined Digimon, sending a message out to his partner.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Walk on the Edge)

Back in the Human World, a rock concert was happening in a small stage, the audience mostly consisting of teenage girls, though there were some boys in the crowd. On the stage was a band consisting of four boys, and one of them was Matt, who was the bass player and the lead singer of the Teenage Wolves. It was funny how Matt formed a band in the first place. It had been a month after Omnimon's battle with Diaboromon on the Internet, and Matt had been feeling lonely without Gabumon and TK. Deciding to cope with his loneliness, Matt took up playing guitar. While playing one day, he met another boy playing his own guitar.

Both boys had complimented each other on their playing, and they met up several times to play together. They later met two more boys who played drums and piano. Matt eventually decided they form a band of their own. Calling themselves the Teenage Wolves, the band had started out small, eventually growing a huge following in Odaiba. Even the school principal was a fan of their music, and had asked them to play for a summer festival the school was having in the coming months. Matt and the band accepted, and were waiting for the announcement to be made official.

After the concert ended, Matt went out into the hall with TK, who had been among the crowd.

"I'm not sure if I can hide the Digimon for that long," the older boy said once his brother was done explaining the situation. "Plus, there's ten of them. You sure you can't split them amongst yourselves?"

"Maybe, but we don't know if splitting them up or keeping them together will make the chaos worse or not," said TK, remembering how one Gotsumon nearly broke a window by tapping it, and the Mushroomon tried to play football with Poromon, earning the plant Digimon Yolei's wrath.

"Hey Matt!" a voice rang out. The two brothers looked around to see a girl Matt's age run up to her. Her spiky hair reminded TK a little bit about Tai. "Good concert as always."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Thanks Jun," Matt said with a light smile. He had known Jun Motomiya ever since they met at a music camp three years ago, and they had been in contact ever since then as close friends. The blond-haired boy was surprised when he learned that Jun's brother Davis was not only Tai's soccer protégé, but a Digidestined as well.

"Hi there," TK said, introducing himself to the red-haired girl. "You said your name was…Jun?'

"Yes, my name is Jun Motomiya." The girl's usage of her last name made TK's eyes widen a bit.

"Motomiya…are you related to Davis Motomiya?"

"Yes, I happen to be his sister," said Jun, earning a surprised look from TK. He had known Davis had a sister, but he didn't know it was a girl Matt was friends with.

"Hey, you're one of Davis's friends, aren't you? Has he been…doing well?" Jun then asked. TK and Matt were surprised that Jun's cheerful face was now one of worry.

"Yeah…he has been," said TK. "Why do you ask?" Jun looked hesitant for a moment before answering.

"Because…I know about the Digital World…and the Digimon," the teenage girl answered, earning surprised looks from Matt and TK. "Three years ago, I saw my brother get sucked into his computer, and he returned a few hours later completely different. Ever since this whole thing began again, I've been wondering how he's been doing. He came home one night with a nasty gash on his arm from the Digital World." TK flinched, knowing that Jun was talking about the injury Davis received during one of TK's not-so finest moments.

"Well…he seems quite energetic," said TK, thinking slowly about Davis's behavior from the last week. "And he seems to take his duties as Digidestined leader seriously." TK still didn't know what to think about Davis yet. It had been two weeks since the incident, and even though he apologized to Kari, he still had yet to apologize and talk with Davis.

"I see…" Jun muttered before turning to the elder of the two boys. "Matt, can we talk…in private?"

"Um…sure," Matt said in surprise, following Jun outside.

* * *

Jun had a flurry of emotions going through her head as she led Matt outside where they could talk in private. Ever since Davis revealed to her that his best friend Ken Ichijouji was the Digimon Emperor threatening and taking over the Digital World, he had been coming home most nights absolutely exhausted from dealing with threats in the Digital World. Even though Jun told Davis he didn't have to do everything alone, she had a feeling Davis was taking this harder than the other Digidestined, as it was his best friend he was fighting.

"So what did you want to talk about Jun?" Matt asked, standing behind a tree. Jun sighed before talking.

"Matt, I'm worried about my brother," she said with a sad look. "I know what's going on in the Digital World right now with this 'Digimon Emperor'. Davis has been telling me everything. He told me everything about his adventures in the Digital World from three years ago…and I may have spied on your meeting from last week."

"Wait, you did what?!" Matt asked in shock.

"Hey, can I help it if I worry about my little brother?" Jun asked with a light glare. "Besides, I haven't told anyone about all of this, so your secret's safe with me!"

"No, I…I can understand where you're coming from," said the blond haired boy. Four years ago during their original adventures in the Digital World, Matt had been fiercely protective of TK. Even though Matt had let up on some of his protectiveness, he still worried now and then every time his brother entered the Digital World.

"The thing is…I'm really worried because I think Davis is taking this worse than any of the others," said Jun.

"Why would he be taking it worse than us?" Matt asked with a raised eyebrow. Jun hesitated. She really hated going behind Davis's back, but somebody deserved to be in the loop besides her. Plus, if she didn't use names…

"Because…Davis's friend, the one who helped him and Ryo fight Millenniummon is the Digimon Emperor." This revelation made Matt's eyes widen in complete shock.

"Wait, what?! Are you serious?"

"I am serious," said Jun, the look in her eyes matching the serious tone in her voice. "Davis told me last week. He's taken it really hard because he was really good friends with this boy, and now he has to fight him."

"Why hasn't he told any of us about this?" asked Matt.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"Because Davis blames himself for what's happened to his friend," Jun said, her face now crestfallen. "He thinks that if he stayed in contact with his friend, after his friend's brother died, then maybe none of this would be happening. He's solely set on taking out the Digimon Emperor himself. I've told him that he's not alone, but I'm not sure if he understands. I may not be in Davis's position, but I can understand that friends should never fight…especially best friends."

Those words made Matt freeze up and remember a time when he was lost and didn't know how to change. This led to a tree-like Digimon called Cherrymon to show up and manipulate Matt to fight and kill die, telling him that fighting Tai would make him stronger and change. However, the fight only caused the Digidestined to fracture and Matt to question his friendship for a while. It was one of the darkest moments of his young life. The blond-haired boy realized that what Davis was going through right was similar to his situation, but it was much worse: Davis had no choice but to fight his best friend, whereas Matt could have backed away and not fallen for Cherrymon's manipulations to fight Tai.

"I see…" the blond musician said sadly, before thinking of something. "Jun…why exactly are you telling me this?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"Well…I've known you for several years Matt, and you've proven yourself to be a good friend," Jun answered with a small smile. "Plus, when Davis told me about you guys, he said you have the Crest of Friendship."

"Uh…well, yeah, I do," Matt said, surprised that Jun that until he remembered Jun just said that Davis told her about the Crests and who owned what Crest.

"I figured you better than anyone could keep a secret," said Jun. "Davis needs someone to help him, and I figured you could help him. I want to help him, but I can only help him here in our world. The Digital World…it's different. I wish I was one of you…a Digidestined." Jun sat down on a bench, her face broken. Feeling a pang, Matt sat down and pulled Jun into a one-armed hug. It was nothing romantic, but rather, it was one of comfort.

"I'll see what I can do," he finally said after a moment. "It may be difficult since I don't have my partner, and the Digimon Emperor can prevent him from Digivolving."

"Just as long as you can help him," Jun said, then cocking her head to one side. "By the way, who's your Digimon partner?"

"His name is…" Matt's answer was cut off when his Digivice suddenly started beeping loudly. Pulling out his Digivice, Matt looked at the flashing red screen in sudden worry, breathing one name.

"Gabumon…"

"Gabumon?" asked Jun, who looked down at Matt's blinking Digivice. "By the way, what's that flashing red light mean?"

"Matt!" Both teenagers turned to see TK run towards them with his D-Terminal open. "I just got a message from Yolei! It says 'Emergency! Return to school as fast as you can!'"

"I think I may have an idea what the emergency is." Matt showed his Digivice to TK, who immediately knew what the red light meant and nodded in understanding.

"Listen, Jun. TK and I have to go. My Digimon partner is in trouble."

"I understand. Go," said Jun. "And Matt…"

"I promise I will," Matt said, running towards the middle school with TK on his heels, leaving Jun behind.

"Please be careful Davis…" Jun whispered.

* * *

"So…what were you promising Jun back there?" TK asked with a teasing grin. "Dinner Saturday?"

"Now's not the time for jokes!" Matt yelled over his shoulder. "Gabumon needs me!"

"Right, sorry," TK said, getting serious again. Gabumon was his brother's partner, and woe betide anyone who harms him. TK would hurt them badly for messing with his brother in any way.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"Give me a minute, you guys! You're making me nervous!" said Yolei, typing frantically on her keyboard as the new Digidestined and Matt stood over her. Matt crossed his arms, drumming his fingers on his left arm impatiently. If he was younger, he would have complained about the amount of time it was taking. But he was older now, and he learned from working with Izzy that rushing the tech expert of the Digidestined only put more pressure on them, leading to mistakes.

"Almost there…" Yolei muttered, eventually finding where the signal came from. "All right, I found it!"

"Then let's go," said Matt. "From the looks of the signal I got, Gabumon really needs help!"

"Then we have no more time to waste!" Davis held his D-3 up to the screen. "Digital Gate, Open!" The screen flashed and everyone entered the Digital World, ready for whatever was to come. The group landed near a river bed, where they were immediately greeted with the sight of a beat up Digimon that Matt, TK, Patamon, Kari and Gatomon recognized immediately.

"Gabumon!" Matt ran over to his fallen partner and began to shake him awake gently. "Gabumon, wake up!" The fur-wearing reptile groaned slightly, opening his eyes slowly, the first thing he saw being a very familiar face.

"Ma...Matt? Is…that you?"

"Yeah, it's me, buddy," Matt smiled, pulling his partner into his arms. "What happened to you?"

"Follow…follow me," Gabumon grunted, moving out of Matt's arms. The furred reptile took two steps forward before falling on his face again. It was clear he hadn't fully recovered yet from the beating he received from RedVegiemon.

"Easy buddy," Matt said, helping Gabumon up with TK's help. "Maybe you can show us where to go?"

"That way," Gabumon pointed to a dusty road. The Digidestined walked up the road before seeing a village in sight.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"What is this place?" asked Yolei.

"This is the village of Santa Geria," said Gabumon, now feeling much better and able to walk again after being carried for several minutes by Matt. "It was a peaceful town inhabited by Gazimon. But then the Digimon Emperor came in with a bunch of Vegiemon and took it over, placing a Control Spire up there." Gabumon pointed up and the Digidestined saw the Control Spire in the distance, sitting on the tallest hill. "I tried to bust out the Gazimon, but the Vegiemon got help from a RedVegiemon, and he punched me down into the river."

"Control Spire?" asked Matt. "What are those?"

"Those are what the Digimon Emperor erects every time he conquers an area," explained Patamon. "It's also the reason why we can't Digivolve normally."

"But not for long," said Davis. "Cody came up with a theory that if we destroy the Dark Tower, the aura of darkness it's emitting will disappear and Gabumon can Digivolve normally again!"

"But could that really work?" TK asked somewhat doubtfully.

"Of course! Let's get going then!" Davis and Veemon began heading out of the forest, but were stopped by Matt.

"Hold up there, hotshot! The Emperor may be there waiting to ambush us."

"I don't think so," said Gabumon. "He left a while ago with Stingmon to take over a new area."

"Which means all we have to really deal with are the Vegiemon and RedVegiemon," said Veemon.

"How dangerous are those guys, exactly?" asked Cody.

"Vegiemon are relatively weak, but they're dangerous with their bad breath…and their poop flinging," Armadillomon said with a grimace.

"Wait…they throw their own poop?!" Yolei declared with a scandalous look. "That's absolutely disgusting!"

"Tell me about it," Matt muttered, remembering the Numemon.

"It's RedVegiemon we really must be careful with," said Hawkmon. "He may not fling poop, but he's certainly much stronger than an ordinary Vegiemon."

"What's more, is the Gazimon are still prisoners," Gabumon said gravelly. "They may use them as hostages."

"Damn, that's a good point…" Davis said, looking up at the Control Spire with a glare. If he could destroy it, then he would be one step closer to stopping Ken. "All right, I have an idea."

"What is it?" asked Kari.

"We'll have to split up," said Davis. "Veemon and I will go up that mountain and take down the Control Spire, while the rest of you pretend to be prisoners and get into the village. If you do that, then you'll be able to free the real prisoners."

"Just yourself?" Kari asked worriedly.

"It would be too much trouble for all of us to go," said Davis. "Besides, Gabumon has a point when he says the guards may use the Gazimon as shields. If we take out the Control Spire, we avoid the fight altogether. I have a feeling the Control Spires not only inhibit Digivolution, but they also provide power to the Dark Rings."

"So if we destroy the Control Spire, not only will the Digimon Digivolve normally, but the slaves will be free?" Yolei asked in a quick summary.

"Yes," said Davis. "The other reason I need you to infiltrate the village is so you can not only free the Gazimon, but make a distraction and give me and Veemon enough time to destroy the Spire."

"Davis, are you sure about this?" asked Patamon, also worried as well.

"I am sure," Davis said, a determined look on his face as he turned to leave for the mountain. "Let's go, Veemon."

"Right!" Veemon went to follow his partner, when…

"Wait a minute," Matt said, putting a hand on Davis's shoulder to stop him. "Gabumon and I are coming with you guys. It's too risky to go it alone, you'll need someone to watch your back."

"Matt, I appreciate the gesture," Davis said with a sigh, "but…"

"That wasn't a question," Matt stated coldly, glaring at Davis. The burgundy-haired boy looked nervous under Matt's glare before turning away.

"All right. Matt, you'll come with me. The rest of you, find a way to infiltrate the prison." The other Digidestined nodded and broke away from Davis and Matt, the latter looking at Davis with an unreadable look.

'Well…this is where I put my promise into play,' the blond-haired boy thought, following Davis close by.

* * *

Davis and Matt had moved closer to the village, and watched from the bushes as the other Digidestined were tied up and marched up to the village by their partners, all wearing fake Dark Rings to trick the Vegiemon.

"They're in," whispered Davis. "Now's our chance!" Veemon, Matt and Gabumon nodded, walking up the mountain.

"Listen, Matt. It's not that I don't appreciate your offer to help me," Davis said to the older boy as they scaled the small mountain up to the obelisk, "but Veemon and I have been through worse and we can handle ourselves."

"I don't doubt that," said Matt, "but that still doesn't ignore the fact that Kari and the rest of us worry about you…even your sister."

"What?" Davis asked, stopping suddenly upon hearing his sister being mention. "What did you say?" Matt looked at Davis with a frown as he continued.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Run with the Wind ~Yamato no Theme~ #2)

"I saw your sister Jun today after my concert…and she told me about your friend being the Digimon Emperor. Don't worry, she didn't say any names," Matt said, holding up his hand to cut off Davis, who looked upset and was ready to shout.

"What would possess her to do something like that?!" the burgundy-haired boy said angrily. "She promised me she wouldn't tell!"

"Well, she told me," Matt said simply before his expression softened. "Davis, I get it. You don't like fighting your best friend, but that doesn't mean you should try and do this yourself. You have the rest of us to back you up. We're a team, Davis."

"Team," Davis said with a scoff. "Yeah, right. Kari's really the only one I've been able to work well with. Cody's all right, though he can be a stiff, Yolei can still be hyper and act to the beat of her own drum, and no offense, but your brother's a jerk."

"So was I," Matt sighed. "I get it. You don't trust TK or the rest of the Digidestined. You don't really trust most of us." Davis said nothing, looking down at the rocky ground as he knew Matt was speaking truth, and he couldn't really say anything to counter it.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

"It's just…I was used to working with Ryo and my friend. We acted like a true team, and we were able to fight together. But now Ryo's missing in some other dimension, and my other friend is the Digimon Emperor, and I'm leading a group of new Digidestined, most of them I barely know…or trust." Davis slumped down on a rock, a clearly torn look on his face. Veemon could only feel Davis's pain, as he was taking it hard as well to fight Stingmon. He didn't like it, and he knew Stingmon didn't like it as well.

"I know how it feels to not trust people," Matt said, sitting down next to Davis and placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "It took me a long time to open up to Tai, Gabumon and the others my first time in the Digital World, but eventually they became my closest friends. I know you were close to Ryo and the Digimon Emperor, and I know it's heartbreaking to fight your best friend. But remember Davis, you're not alone, and I know you don't want to be alone. I learned about that as well, and now I have good friends. And you do as well. You just have to let them in and trust them."

Davis remained quiet, letting Matt's words mull over in his head. He did trust Kari, Tai and Sora, and they were his closest friends. But could he let the other Digidestined in, share his pain with them? He looked over at Matt, his cold eyes showing compassion. He did seem like someone he could trust, being someone with the Crest of Friendship. Perhaps he could trust the other Digidestined.

"All right," the burgundy-haired boy said, standing back up. "You don't seem like a bad guy Matt…which is more than I can say for your brother."

"I know you and TK haven't exactly been on the best of terms since this whole thing started," Matt said, standing back up and resuming his walk up the mountain with Davis, "but that's how Tai and I started out our friendship."

"And look at them now!" Gabumon said happily. "Besides, TK's not a bad boy once you really get to know him."

"I guess so, but still…" Davis trailed off, preferring to focus more on the mission than making friends with TK for now. Picking up the message, Matt continued on without saying anything else.

"Finally!" Veemon said once the group of four reached the top of mountain. Being up close to the Spire, they noticed the Spire was giant, possibly as big as the Washington Monument in America.

"Now we can tear down this Control Spire," Davis said, pulling out his D-3 to allow Veemon to Armor Digivolve. But before he could even say the words to activate the change…

"That won't be happening!" Gabumon gasped as he recognized the voice and whirled around to see a shocking sight that Davis, Matt and Veemon also gasped to upon seeing it as well.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

Standing before them was RedVegiemon, flanked by several more Vegiemon. And behind them were Kari, TK, Yolei and Cody. All of them were still tied up with rope, but now their Digimon partners were tied up as well, and all of them had been gagged with cloth, preventing them from talking.

"The Digimon Emperor warned me about you when that Gabumon escaped," laughed RedVegiemon. "He knew you would try to sneak in, but when we didn't see you with your little friends, we decided to surprise you!"

"Damn it!" cursed Veemon. "Davis, activate the Digimental now!"

"I got it!" said Davis. "DIGI-ARMOR…"

"HAZARD BREATH!"

"STINK JET!"

The smelly plant Digimon released green jets of bad breath from their mouths, enveloping the two Digidestined and their partners. Davis and Matt both coughed and gagged, holding their arms up over their faces to block the smell. But this proved fatal as several Vegiemon bounced over and wrapped their long arms around their bodies, pinning their arms together and squeezing the air out of them. Gabumon tried to fight back, but he two was overwhelmed and bound by the Vegiemon.

On the other hand, Veemon was able to handily fight back against the two Vegiemon that attempted to subdue him.

"GYRAL PUNCH!" Spinning his arms around in circles, Veemon knocked down both Vegiemon and charged for RedVegiemon, knocking him down with a Vee-Headbutt.

"Grr! You little pest!" RedVegiemon said with a snarl, bouncing back up. "RED HOT SUBMACHINE GUN!" The red plant Digimon spat out hot peppers from his mouth that landed on the ground around Veemon's feet, exploding on impact. Veemon jumped out of the way of the attack, but was left vulnerable to RedVegiemon's next attack, which was a Spike Punch to the chest, followed by another one to the face. Veemon yelled in pain as he was knocked off the ground, only to be grabbed by RedVegiemon's arms and thrown back down to the ground.

"Veemon!" Davis cried in worry, attempting to break free, but it was useless. The Vegiemon were relatively weak Digimon, but the grip of their vines was not to be underestimated.

"If…if I could only Digivolve…!" Gabumon gasped in his captor's grasp. Matt gritted his teeth in anger, gripping his Digivice in hand.

"I'm…I'm sorry, guys…" Veemon groaned, pulling himself up slowly off the ground.

"You think you're so tough fighting me, dragon face?!" RedVegiemon said with a laugh. "We'll see how tough you are after a hundred punches! One! Two! Three!" RedVegiemon counted each punch as he struck Veemon, but the dragon Digimon withstood the strikes and pulled himself back up.

"Is that…the best you've got?" asked the blue dragon. "I've been hit by worse!"

"Oh, I'm just getting started!" laughed RedVegiemon. "Four!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi)

"No!" Davis yelled. "Leave him alone!" It pained the child of Miracles greatly to watch his partner be struck over and over again as he watched bound and helpless. He hadn't felt this helpless since he saw Veemon die in front of him.

"I…I can't watch!" Gabumon cried, closing his eyes. The other Digidestined could only close their eyes as well, unable to block their ears from Veemon's pained cries.

"Leave him alone!" Davis attempted to move, but another Vegiemon jumped over and wrapped his vines around the boy's ankles, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Don't…don't worry about me, Davis…" Veemon gasped as he took Punch Thirty-six. The punches continued, RedVegiemon continued counting, and Veemon was becoming worse from the punches, but he would not quit for Davis or his friends.

"Eighty-nine! Ninety! Ninety-one!"

"Veemon, stop this!" Davis cried, his eyes beginning to water at the sight of his battered partner, who had begun bleeding from his injuries. "You can't take much more!"

"But…but I can't give up, Davis…" Veemon gasped, taking Punch Ninety-five. "Our friends…are depending on us…"

"They can't depend on us if you're dead!" Davis cried, unable to watch Veemon's mauling continue. "Please! I…I can't lose you again!" Upon hearing Davis's words, the other Digidestined looked surprised, but none were more surprised than TK.

'No…no way…Davis and Veemon…did Veemon…die before?' the child of Hope thought, his mind flashing back to Angemon dying battling with Devimon. Suddenly, TK felt truly guilty for getting on Davis's bad side.

"Ninety-six!" RedVegiemon's next punch knocked Veemon off his feet and accidentally hit the Control Spire, a chunk of it coming off.

"I have to admire your friendship and dedication to the Digidestined," said the red plant Digimon, "so when I'm done with you, I'll do the rest of them as well with one hundred punches, starting with your partner!"

"Not…while I'm still…breathing!" Veemon gasped as he was slammed into the Control Spire by Punch Ninety-nine.

"One more punch left," RedVegiemon chuckled evilly.

'No!' Davis thought, struggling frantically in the Vegiemon's grasp. 'Please…let this stop!' Unknown to Davis, the Crest of Miracles under his shirt began glowing faintly, as did Veemon. The little dragon gasped as he suddenly felt a new surge of energy that enabled him to pull up as RedVegiemon pulled back his arm.

"ONE HUNDRED!" Both RedVegiemon's arms stretched forward to strike Veemon, but the reenergized dragon Digimon jumped out of the way, and the arms struck the Control Spire instead.

"Wha…what the?!" RedVegiemon yelled in shock as the Control Spire began sparking and crackling with electricity. Davis and Matt's Digivices suddenly began beeping and Veemon and Gabumon felt a familiar energy fill up inside of them.

"This is…!" Davis gasped as Veemon and Gabumon changed.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!"

"GABUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARURUMON!"

"Im…impossible!" RedVegiemon gasped at the sight before him. Gabumon had thrown off his Vegiemon captors, turning into a horse-sized wolf with silver and blue stripe on his body.

Where Veemon once stood was a massive blue dragon Digimon with a horn on his snout, muscular arms and legs, an X-mark on his chest, and a pair of wings on his back to enable flight.

"It's payback time!" ExVeemon growled, grabbing RedVegiemon's arm and lifting him off the ground. "STRONG CRUNCH!" Opening his mouth, ExVeemon bit down on RedVegiemon's arm, causing the plant Digimon to yell in pain from the bite. Releasing his hold on the arm, ExVeemon took flight with RedVegiemon in his grasp, going high into the air before throwing him down to the ground with a massive crash.

"FOX FIRE!" Garurumon turned his attention to the Vegiemon, scaring them off with his blue flames while Davis and Matt untied the rest of the Digidestined.

"Gabumon and Veemon…" gasped Kari.

"…were able to Digivolve to Champion level!" finished Gatomon.

"ExVeemon…" Davis whispered, looking at his partner's Champion level for the first time in three years.

"It looks Cody was right!" said Yolei. "Damaging the Control Spire must have lifted the Digivolution shield!"

"And destroying it should free the enslaved Digimon," said Hawkmon.

"Understood," Davis nodded, looking over to his partner, who was giving RedVegiemon a well-deserved beating, even if he was being controlled. "ExVeemon! Finish off the Control Spire!"

"You got it, Davis!" ExVeemon turned around and threw RedVegiemon into the Control Spire before crossing his arms over his chest in an X-shape.

"X-LASER!" Separating his arms, ExVeemon released a laser beam from the mark on his chest. The beam hit RedVegiemon and sent him into the Spire, which cracked in two and tumbled to the ground, crashing into pieces upon impact.

"You did it!" Garurumon cheered, watching as RedVegiemon and the Vegiemon's eyes turned back into their natural color and the Dark Rings fell off their waists, powerless.

"Huh? What's going on here?" RedVegiemon groaned, unaware of the damage he has caused with the other Vegiemon.

"Guys!" The Digidestined turned to see Tai, Sora and Izzy run up the hill with their partners, the Gotsumon and the Mushroomon, stopping when they saw the two Champion level Digimon before them.

"Garurumon!" Agumon gasped, looking up at his old friend. "You were actually able to Digivolve!"

"It was thanks to the Control Spire being damaged and destroyed," said the wolf. "Veemon was also able to Digivolve to his Champion form, ExVeemon." The Digidestined looked over and saw the big blue dragon off to the side, his massive arm holding Davis in a hug.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi 2)

"I was so worried that I would lose you again…" Davis whispered, a tear rolling down his face. "How did you survive that?"

"I think it's obvious," ExVeemon grinned, looking down at Davis's Crest of Miracles, which was pulsing a faint golden light.

"So this old thing still works well…" Davis chuckled, admiring the pendant. His Crest always did bring about a miracle when things didn't look good, and it pulled through again for them.

"So that's ExVeemon…" Tai said, looking impressed at the dragon Digimon.

"With the Control Spire destroyed, that means not only are RedVegiemon and the Vegiemon free from the Emperor's control, and we can Digivolve again, but this area is no longer under the Emperor's control," Tentomon buzzed, looking over the remains of the Control Spire.

"What's more, is that these towers can be destroyed, and we're one step closer to making the Digital World a safe place again," noted Gatomon.

"Then in that case, let's get the Gotsumon and Mushroomon back home by destroying the Spire that's there!" said Tai, running down the hill, followed by Agumon, Kari, Gatomon, the Gotsumon and Mushroomon.

"We're coming too!" Sora ran after them with Yolei, Biyomon and Hawkmon. "Perhaps we can destroy a few more Spires in the surrounding areas."

"Guys…I'm sorry about all of this," Davis said, walking over to the other Digidestined, ExVeemon by his side. "I thought I could do this alone…but without me, you were all captured…and Veemon was nearly killed…"

"Davis, don't," Matt said, gripping both the younger boys' shoulders. "You shouldn't keep beating yourself up over things that weren't your fault to begin with. Tai learned that, and so did I. We all learned that."

"Thanks," Davis lightly smiled. "And I guess I also learned that from now on, we do this together…as a team. Is that right?"

"That's right!" said everyone.

* * *

Back in the Human World, the Digidestined, who had also brought Gabumon back, were huddled around Izzy, showing them a grid map on the screen.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoru Yuuhan da ne)

"This grid map you see is the Digital World," said Izzy. "The black squares are areas the Emperor has control over are in black, and the free areas are in white. This one," he pointed to a flashing red square, "is Santa Geria. It was originally black, but after the Spire's destruction, it turned white."

"Which means it's no longer under the Emperor's control," Cody noted, looking at the map himself. "But there are so many black squares. It could take us months to take down all those Spires."

"And there's also the off-chance that the Emperor could make new Spires," TK said with a frown.

"Damn it…we really have our work cut out for us…" said Davis.

"But that hardly matters," said Gabumon. "Now that we know how to take down the Spires, we can Digivolve again."

"Even all the way to the Mega level, if it's necessary!" Tentomon said, getting a nod from his partner.

"Mega level?" asked Cody. "What is that?"

"It's the highest level of Digivolution," explained DemiVeemon. "After Champion level comes the Ultimate level, and then the Mega level."

"The Mega level is very powerful…and it can be…very destructive," Davis said, a dark look on his face as he remembered the last time Veemon became Imperialdramon. TK noticed the dark look, noting that it was the same look he saw earlier today. Seeing this look twice confirmed what TK suspected: Veemon had died before, and Davis was affected by it more than he was letting on.

"Hey, some of the squares just turned white!" Upamon said, getting everyone to look at the computer screen. Sure enough, six black squares had turned white in under a minute.

"I guess Tai's group is having some good luck," Izzy noted.

* * *

"Looks like Control Spires aren't made the way they used to be made!" Tai said with a laugh as he rode on Greymon's back again in nearly three years. Agumon had managed to Digivolve to the massive orange dinosaur with a horned helmet and blue stripes once Nefertimon damaged the Control Spire of the area they were in. All it took was Greymon's Mega Flame to finish it off.

In the skies above, Halsemon had flown down six different areas, damaging the Control Spires with his attacks, allowing Biyomon's Champion level Birdramon, a flaming orange bird to deliver her Meteor Wing attack, destroying them with her fireballs.

"Boo-yah!" Yolei cheered. "Seven spires in one day!"

"No more sitting on the sidelines for us anymore!" Sora said, getting a positive nod from her partner. Far in the distance, Stingmon watched the scene with worry before returning to the base to inform Ken. To the insect Digimon's surprise, his partner took the news rather well.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"So…they destroyed seven Control Spires in one day. I suppose it was only a matter of time…"

"You don't sound that upset," said Wormmon, who had feared the worst.

"Like I just said, it was only a matter of time before they began knocking down my Spires," Ken said, sneering at the screen. "Fortunately, I can always rebuild. Plus, those areas weren't strategically important in any way. And they have yet to find my base…"

"How much longer until there are Control Spires everywhere?" asked Wormmon, a slight worry in his voice.

"At this rate, less than a year," Ken said, standing up from his throne and missing the worry in Wormmon's voice. "And who knows? Maybe I'll do Earth next…"

'What?' Wormmon thought. If he wasn't worried about Ken's state of mind, he certainly was now…

'Davis, I hope you can pull out some kind of miracle,' the green caterpillar thought, watching Ken leave the monitor room. 'We definitely need one right now.'

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 7

 **A few things I'd like to also talk about in this story. The new kids' clothes stay the same whenever they go into the Digital World. I never really did get what the deal was with the clothes-changing. Plus, what was the deal with Yolei's outfit? Davis's outfit fitted him well, as well as Cody's. But Yolei's looked like something from a third-rate Indiana Jones movie. I think Yolei looked better in her pink dress and blue bandana, as well as her summer clothes of t-shirt, shorts and a red beret.**

 **Plus, as I'm sure you read in Chapter 4, Mimi moved back to Japan before the events of this story began. Mimi is one of my favorite Digimon characters, and it's sad she never got as much screen time as the older Digidestined in the anime because she lived halfway across the globe, and I was happy when she moved back in tri.**

 **That's all for this chapter. Have you listened to some of the soundtrack pieces in the story on Youtube? And if you have, what do you think of the music?**


	8. Chapter 8: Reliable Friends

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Another change I'd like to point out that I didn't mention the last chapter. As you may have read in Chapter 3, Gatomon still has her tail ring and did not lose it when she fought Unimon. Veemon's rescue prevented that from happening. The whole explanation in the show about Gatomon not having her ring to allow DNA Digivolution was stupid, as after Gatomon got her ring back, the Armageddemon movie took place, and Veemon and Wormmon were able to become Imperialdramon while Gatomon had her tail ring. Veemon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon and Wormmon will be able to Digivolve to Ultimate and Mega level without DNA Digivolution. The Digivolution line for all the Digidestined's partners will be posted below. The lines for the Tamers' partners will be up in a future chapter.**

 **Agumon-Greymon-MetalGreymon-WarGreymon**

 **Gabumon-Garurumon-WereGarurumon-MetalGarurumon**

 **Biyomon-Birdramon-Garudamon-Hououmon**

 **Tentomon-Kabuterimon-MegaKabuterimon-HerculesKabuterimon**

 **Palmon-Togemon-Lillymon-Rosemon**

 **Gomamon-Ikkakumon-Zudomon-Vikemon**

 **Patamon-Angemon-MagnaAngemon-Seraphimon**

 **Salamon-Gatomon-Angewomon-Ophanimon**

 **Veemon-ExVeemon-Paildramon-Imperialdramon**

 **Wormmon-Stingmon-Dinobeemon-GranKuwagamon**

 **Hawkmon-Aquilamon-Silphymon-Valkyrimon**

 **Armadillomon-Ankylomon-Shakkoumon-SlashAngemon**

 **Ophanimon is Gatomon's Mega form in this story because I felt it's a more natural form for Gatomon instead of Magnadramon. Plus they had Ophanimon Falldown Mode in tri, yet not Ophanimon herself. And the Digimon Adventure PSP game had Gatomon Digivolve to Ophanimon.**

 **As for SlashAngemon as Armadillomon's Mega level, I decided to go online and see which Mega level would work for Shakkoumon, since Gomamon's Mega level in this story is Vikemon, and Vikemon also Digivolves from Shakkoumon, and I didn't want confusion over whose Vikemon was whose. I went on Wikimon and looked up Shakkoumon's profile, and one of the Mega levels listed that Shakkoumon could Digivolve to was SlashAngemon. SlashAngemon's profile on Wikimon depicts him as being persistent in justice, and I figured it would fit for Armadillomon, considering Cody's talk of honor and justice.**

 **Now for the music cues in the chapters. If you're having difficulty finding a specific piece of music, here's how you can find the music on Youtube with simple steps.**

 **Step 1: Put in Anime OST in the Youtube search engine.**

 **Step 2: Once you hit Search, go to the filter and click on Channel. The logo for the channel you're looking for has Anime written in blue and OST in pink.**

 **Step 3: Once you're on the channel, go to Playlists. The Digimon albums will be near the bottom if you scroll down. The albums you want to look for are:**

 **Uta no Ongaku shuu version 1**

 **Uta no Ongaku shuu version 2**

 **Uta no Ongaku shuu version 1 Digimon 2**

 **Uta no Ongaku shuu version 2 Digimon 2**

 **Digimon Tamers Uta no Ongaku shuu version 1**

 **Digimon Tamers Uta no Ongaku shuu version 2**

 **Boukensha Tachi no Tatakai Original Soundtrack**

 **They contain the music parts, such as Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme and Akogare. As for the songs, like Brave Heart and The Biggest Dreamer, just type the song name in the search engine, and you'll find it easily.**

 **With that being said, thank you for reviewing my last chapter and don't forget to review this one.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Matt received a distress signal from Gabumon in the Digital World and the Digidestined went to the village of Santa Geria, where a number of Vegiemon led by a RedVegiemon captured them all. But thanks to Davis's Crest of Miracles, the Control Spire was damaged, allowing Veemon and Gabumon to become ExVeemon and Garurumon, destroying the tower and freeing Santa Geria. But the Digimon Emperor is not deterred, and may attack the Human World next…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Reliable Friends

Dark gray clouds rolled over the skies in one area of the Digital World, blocking all sunlight and warmth that could have gotten through; Most of the terrain was calm, pure interrupted white snow…except in one part of the area.

A Control Spire stood tall in the area, an incomplete building several feet away from it. This building was to be a new prison for the Digimon Emperor, who stood at the foot of the Spire with Stingmon and watched the construction of the Spire. A number of Gizamon, orange-furred Digimon with black spikes on their backs and webbed feet, hopped towards the prison carrying giant beams on iron on their backs. Once the beams reached the prison, a group of Frigimon, snowy-white Digimon that looked like a cross between a snowman and a polar bear, froze the beams together.

While the Frigimon wore Dark Rings on their legs and obeyed the Emperor's commands without question and losing no energy, the Gizamon had no Dark Rings, but were given no choice but to obey the Emperor, who wanted the new prison completed on schedule. But the Gizamon were growing more exhausted by the minute. Their status as amphibian Digimon meant they could only work well in the water, and the frozen ground they were on was not suitable for them. But they did not argue, lest they incur the Emperor's anger. However, one Gizamon couldn't take much more and collapsed with an exhausted moan. The other Gizamon paused and looked at their friend, too tired and too scared to help him up.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi)

"Get up, you worthless fur ball!" the Emperor yelled at the fallen Gizamon, striking it several times with his whip. "Do you honestly think this is nap time?!"

"Ken, I don't think this is a good idea to be out here for so long," said Stingmon. "It's extremely cold, and we shouldn't exert ourselves."

"Why are you complaining?!" Ken barked at his partner. "You have an exoskeleton that keeps you warm! And in case you forgot, my suit has climate control!" The purple-haired boy then turned back to the Gizamon. "Keep working! This new prison must be completed in time!" At a nearby snowbank, a small seal-like Digimon with white fur, purple spots, red hair and sharp claws watched the activities close by with frustration and anger. He wanted to help the Gizamon, but he was powerless against that many Gizamon, and the Frigimon were too powerful for him. He needed help…and he knew where to find it.

"I've got to get a message to Joe," said Gomamon, who was the white seal. Gomamon quietly crawled from his hiding spot and slowly made his way to where he saw a TV set, several miles from here. All he had to do was stay quiet, and…

"MOON SHOOTER!" A sharp needle landed in Gomamon's path, causing the white seal to yell in surprise and move back several steps. Turning his head, Gomamon paled when he saw Stingmon standing before him, the Digimon Emperor by his side.

"Well, well," Ken said with a smirk. "You made a mistake coming here Gomamon. I would have expected you to continue hiding and waiting for your partner…"

"Oh, he's coming, and he'll bring the other Digidestined here!" Gomamon said in a confident tone. "I know they won't stand for what you're doing, because I sure don't! MARCHING FISHES!" Because the snow around them was frozen water, Gomamon was able to summon his fish followers and attack Stingmon and the Digimon Emperor, the former swatting some of the fish away while the latter was slapped in the face by another one. Angered at the attack, Ken swung his whip out and struck Gomamon, knocking him off his feet.

"I'll teach you a lesson for attacking me like that!" Ken then turned his attention to the Gizamon, who had stopped working to see what was going on. "Gizamon! Attack Gomamon! Beat him up until he starts bleeding! If you do what I say, then you will be given a grand reward!" The Gizamon seemed reluctant to attack someone who wanted to help them, but the reward sounded too good to pass up.

"SPIRAL SAW!" Leaping in the air, the Gizamon curled up into balls and began charging for the white seal Digimon. Gomamon managed to dodge the first three, but as he noticed before, the numbers were too great for him to deal with alone. Gomamon could only yell in pain as the Gizamon's sharp back blades tore into him. Moments later, the white seal lay motionless, patches of his fur covered in blood.

"We have done as you requested, Digimon Emperor," said one Gizamon, who looked remorseful about doing what he just did to Gomamon. "Now where is our reward?"

"Ah, yes…your reward," Ken smirked, snapping his fingers. Dark Rings flew down from the sky and attached themselves to the Gizamon's bodies. The amphibians' eyes turned blood red as they fell under Ken's control.

"Why didn't you do that before?" Stingmon asked curiously, looking down at Ken.

"Oh, shut up!" Ken said with a glare before he looked down at Gomamon, who was stirring a little.

"I really do hope the Digidestined come here," he said coldly before kicking Gomamon away from him. The white seal, already battered, grunted several times as he rolled on the snow and hardened ice. Gomamon groaned and continued crawling, refusing to allow himself to fall so easily. Some of the controlled Gizamon noticed the escaping Digimon and made to attack, but a snap of Ken's whip in the air made them stop.

"Let him go," said Ken. "We have more important work to do." Stingmon watched as Gomamon crawled away, hoping as well that the Digidestined come as well, but for reasons different than Ken's.

"I guess…that saying is true," Gomamon groaned as he continued pulling himself through the snowy field. "No good deed goes unpunished…" Gomamon soon found the TV and pulled himself to it. He lost consciousness right when he was near it, but managed to utter one name.

"Joe…"

* * *

In the Human World, said boy was leaning on a wall outside his school, drinking a bottle of energy drink. At 16 years old, Joe Kido was the oldest of all the Digidestined. As he was pursuing a career in medicine like his father, Joe went to a different school that often had classes at different times of the day. As he took a break from his drink, Joe looked down at his recent test and sighed at the result, which was a C. It had been a long time since he had received a C. Normally, he was an A-straight student, but as of late, his grades had dropped down to B's. He couldn't help it much, as his mind was on something else for the last few weeks, and that was the Digital World.

Ever since he had learned the Digital Gate was open again, Joe had been meaning to return to the Digital World so he could find Gomamon, but it was hard. Gomamon had not been found yet, and Joe figured he would only be a target if he went without his partner. He also had medical school to deal with, which was harder than regular school. The thought of his partner and wanting to help his friends out again drove everything else out of his mind, but seeing the low grade meant Joe had to focus again on his schoolwork. It was hard, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before he could help out again.

As he finished off his drink and went over to two other students talking in his class, Joe suddenly heard a familiar beeping noise. Lifting up his jacket and looking at the Digivice clipped to his belt, Joe noticed the Digivice's screen was flashing red. His eyes widened when he remembered Matt telling him about his own Digivice going off like that two days ago.

"Gomamon…" Joe whispered.

"Can you believe we have a quiz today?" Joe heard one of his classmates say.

"Yeah, I can't believe it," the other boy sighed as he looked over to Joe. "Joe, what do you think about this quiz?"

"Yeah…about the quiz…" Joe pulled his Digivice out of his pocket and looked down at it before looking over to his classmates. "…I'm not going to make it."

"How come?" asked both boys, looking confused.

"Something…personal came up," Joe said before breaking into a run for the school the other Digidestined went to. He knew better than to skip a quiz, but the Digital World, his friends, and his partner were more important right now, and he was not going to let them down when it counted. There was a reason he had the Crest of Reliability in the first place.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito 2)

Over at the middle school, class had just ended and Davis was heading for the computer lab, wondering what Ken had in store for him and the others today. As he walked, he looked over to the side and saw Cody going downstairs, away from the computer lab.

"Hey Cody!" Davis yelled to get the younger boy's attention. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, Davis!" Cody said, turning around and realizing who was calling to him. "I have to go to the police precinct. Today's my weekly kendo practice with my grandfather."

"You're not bringing Upamon?" Davis asked, noticing the absence of Cody's partner.

"No…he would cause too much of a ruckus," said Cody, "and I haven't told my family yet about him or the Digimon."

"I see…" Davis said with a nod. "All right, we'll wait for you."

"What?" Cody looked up with surprise. "Davis, my kendo practice lasts two hours. I can't have you waiting that long for me. The Digital World's in crisis…"

"I know the Digital World is important, but we can't do it if the whole team's not together," said Davis. "But I know how important your kendo practice is Cody, since your grandfather is your sensei…we're a team Cody, and we're all important in this matter, even you." Davis walked down and placed a hand on Cody's shoulder. "Besides, I think Upamon would be upset if we left him alone. We could bring him along, but I know he wouldn't feel the same without you." Cody remained silent as he let Davis speak. Both the Digital World and his kendo lessons were important to him…but how could he do both at once? He had been able to still do kendo lessons ever since he got his D-3, but today seemed…different, somehow. And could he help out his friends in the Digital World?

"I see…listen, Davis, I really need to go now."

"Okay! We'll wait for you!" Davis called back to Cody's retreating form.

"Who were you talking to, Davis?" Kari asked, coming up behind her best friend.

"Cody. He has kendo practice today with his grandfather, so we'll have to wait until he gets back to go to the Digital World."

"Ah," Kari said with a nod. "Anyway, we should still get to the computer lab and decide where we should go once Cody gets back. Yolei and TK are probably there already."

"Right…right…" Davis said, following Kari as he thought about his new team and how well he could work with them. Kari he knew very well and could work well with, and Cody seemed like a good kid that he could work well with as well, even if he thought the young boy as too serious.

Yolei and TK were another story. Even though Yolei had accepted that the Digital World was not to be taken lightly, the last few times they had been in the Digital World, Yolei seemed slightly fearful of the situation and Davis worried that she wasn't taking it well. And as for TK, Davis still felt a friction whenever they were near each other. They still hadn't talked much since the day Ken kidnapped Kari and Davis was injured. He sighed, realizing his new team was definitely not like his team with Ken and Ryo.

'I hope I can get through this,' he thought as he entered the computer room with Kari, where he saw Yolei, TK, and the Digimon. Izzy and Tentomon were also there as well, the former looking at the Digital World's grid map.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch ~Koshiro no Theme~)

"So have you found a suitable area yet, Izzy?" asked TK.

"Yes, I think so," Izzy said, pointing to a black square on the map. "This area doesn't seem to have many brainwashed Digimon around here."

"What's going on here?" asked Davis, bending down to look at the map.

"Izzy's been searching the grid map for an area we can go to, and he thinks this one would be good," said DemiVeemon, pointing to the black square Izzy pointed out. Looking at it, Davis noticed it was surrounded by many other white squares, indicating Ken had no control over the surrounding areas.

"That does seem like a good place to go to," Davis agreed.

"I'll be coming with you today," said Izzy. "Ever since Santa Geria, I've been working on a program for our Digivices and D-3s that will allow our Digimon to Digivolve normally even in the presence of Control Spires. If I get a good analysis of the Control Spire and the energy it emits, maybe I can find a way to beat around it."

"That would definitely be beneficial for us," said Kari, Davis nodding in agreement. Yolei then looked around the room and noticed an absence among them.

"Hey, where's Cody?"

"Cody?" Davis repeated. "Oh, he's…" The computer suddenly started beeping, diverting everybody's attention.

"What is it, Izzy?" Tentomon asked as he munched on some snacks Yolei brought from her family's convenience store with the other Digimon, looking up at Izzy's surprised face. "Did that Nigerian prince finally write you back?"

"No, this is more serious," Izzy said, typing on the keyboard and moving the map around until it focused on a black square surrounded by other black squares, blinking red. "This is an SOS signal from the Digital World!"

"An SOS signal?!" said Patamon. "Then that means a Digidestined Digimon is in trouble in the Digital World!"

"And the only ones left in the Digital World are Palmon and Gomamon!" said Tentomon, finally realizing the seriousness. "Where's the signal coming from?"

"It's coming from a northern region in the Digital World," said Izzy.

"That's far from any region we've been to yet," Yolei said, frowning at the screen.

"If it's a northern region, then that means Gomamon sent the message," said Gatomon. "Palmon wouldn't be able to last long in those conditions, she's a Plant-type Digimon."

"And look at those black squares," Davis said grimly, looking at the surrounding squares. "He's been expanding his territory."

"Damn it…" TK muttered angrily. "He's spreading darkness everywhere! We have to stop this before it gets out of hand…"

"…and before all the Digimon are slaves…" Kari said sadly. Davis frowned upon looking at Kari's face and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"All right, forget the area Izzy chose. When Cody gets back from his kendo practice, we'll head to that area and help Gomamon," the goggled boy said, getting nods from everyone.

"And Joe as well," said Izzy. "Since it's Gomamon, Joe will probably be here as well. He'd never leave Gomamon in danger."

"No Digidestined would," said Davis, looking over to see DemiVeemon stuffing his face full.

"Hey, one question," asked Upamon, who looked upset about Cody not being here, "what's this kendo?"

"It's a Japanese sport where people fight with wooden swords," explained Izzy.

"Oh," said Upamon. "Wait, doesn't that hurt them?"

"Not exactly," Izzy said as he began explaining kendo to Upamon and the other confused Digimon to pass the time as the other Digidestined waited for Cody and Joe to arrive.

* * *

In the police precinct several blocks away from the school, two armored figures clashed their wooden shinai together, locked in a duel. The two combatants backed away and stared at each other through their men (face protectors), and contemplated their next move against each other.

Cody, the smaller and younger of the two combatants, panted and gasped from the long fight. He was slower than usual today, and his kendo outfit also made him hot all over, making him as slow as a turtle.

He knew he should have his mind set on this lesson he was in, and finding a way to strike his grandfather, his opponent, and win the match they were in, but he just couldn't focus. His thoughts were on what Davis said before he left, and how everyone was waiting for him. Did this mean he was someone the others relied on? He did not know much about being reliable.

And then he thought of Upamon, who he left behind in the school's computer lab, and how sad he must have been feeling right now. A vision of a saddened Upamon suddenly appeared in his vision, and Cody gasped, backing up slightly.

This move proved costly as his grandfather Chikara moved in suddenly with a cry of "MEN!", and smacked the top of Cody's helmet with his shinai, claiming victory in the match. Cody silently cursed himself for being distracted.

"Let us take a break," Chikara said, removing his helmet to reveal his bald head and gray mustache. Cody nodded and removed his helmet, sitting across from his grandfather. Cody knew that if his grandfather suggested a break, he had something to say. And Cody had an idea what he was going to say.

"Is something the matter, Cody? You seem to have been lacking focus today," Chikara said, looking at Cody with soft eyes.

"I…I'm sorry, Grandpa," said Cody. "I…I've been having a lot on my mind today."

"I see," said Chikara, moving towards his rucksack and rummaging through it. "Perhaps if you told me your problem, I could help you in some way. I can tell something is troubling you. Your father was like that when he was your age. He acted rigid when I trained him, which meant something was troubling him."

Cody thought about his deceased father. In the short time he knew him, Hiroki Hida was a friendly man who was always in a cheery mood whenever he was off duty as a police officer. Cody was the exact opposite, and he wondered often how he could be like his father.

"Cody," Chikara walked over to Cody and sat down next to him with two juice packets, "would you like some Chu-Chu Juice?"

Cody sighed, knowing this would happen. If there was one quirk his grandfather had, it was his obsession with Chu-Chu Jelly.

"No thank you," said the young boy. "I…I do have a problem. You see, I'm part of a group at school with some kids…and we have…activities that we do on a daily basis."

"I see…" Chikara said, sipping from his juice pouch. "Let me ask you Cody: Do these…activities, as you say…involve your new toy?"

Cody went rigid slightly thinking about Upamon. When he came home with the little Digimon several weeks ago, his mother asked him about it, and he said it was a gift of friendship from Yolei. It pained him to lie about it, but he knew his mother would fret and worry over what Cody was doing in the Digital World.

"Well…sort of…" Cody said, unsure how he should tell his grandfather. "Why do you ask?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Wonderland)

"Well, it's a funny story," Chikara said, a thoughtful expression on his face as he remembered something. "The other night, I had woken up to use the bathroom. When I noticed the light was on, I figured that either you or your mother were in there, and I would wait. When the door opened, I was surprised to see your new toy bouncing on its own to your room." If Cody didn't know what to say before, he certainly didn't now. His grandfather saw Upamon himself use the bathroom.

"Upamon…" Cody muttered angrily under his breath. He had told the In-Training Digimon before that if he needed to use the bathroom in the apartment to wake him up so his mother and grandfather wouldn't notice him.

"Ah, so his name is Upamon," Chikara said with a nod. "He seems like an energetic fellow…although I believe you should have a talk with him about using the bathroom properly."

"He didn't flush, did he?" Cody asked with a frown. Chikara nodded, and Cody could only sigh, realizing he needed to have a very long discussion with Upamon later. Knowing there wasn't much choice left, Cody told his grandfather about being chosen as a Digidestined, his Digimon partner, the other Digidestined, and the current crisis the Digital World as facing.

"My friends are waiting for me right now," he finished, "and it sounds like they're counting on me right now to be there…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Power of Earth ~Iori no Theme~#2)

"I see," Chikara said, listening carefully to his grandson as he sipped his juice. "I think I see your problem Cody. You wish to be seen as someone who can be reliable in times of great need."

"I…I guess that's my problem," Cody said nervously.

"You know, your father had this same problem as well," said Chikara. "When he started in the police force, he wondered if he could be counted on and relied upon on his fellow officers. The advice I give to you, Cody, is the same advice I gave your father: People will only rely on you to the extent that you rely on yourself. If you try your hardest and do not fail when it counts, you will be seen as reliable."

"I see," Cody said, processing the information. "Thank you, grandpa. And I'm sorry I never told you or Mom about this..."

"I can understand your reasons," said Chikara. "Your mother would be worried, but you do not need to hide it from me. I can help you should you ever need it. But Cody, you must tell your mother someday about the Digital World, lest you wish for her to become truly concerned."

"I promise, I will tell her someday," Cody stood up and began putting his gear back on. "Shall we continue?"

"No…let us call it a lesson for today," said Chikara. "If your friends need you Cody, then that is where you must be now."

"Thank you." Gathering his gear, Cody ran out the dojo, Chikara watching him as he left before turning to the wall, where his son's picture hung.

"He's definitely becoming like you, Hiroki," Chikara said before happily finishing his juice.

* * *

It took Izzy several minutes to explain kendo to the Digimon. When he was done, the Digidestined waited as patiently as they could for their expected arrivals. But it was difficult was they were worried about Gomamon. Upamon was the most impatient, wondering when Cody would finally show up.

Before long, loud footsteps sounded outside, getting everybody's attention.

"Oh boy! Cody's finally here!" Upamon said excitedly, jumping on Yolei's head.

"Wait…those don't sound like Cody's footsteps…" Davis said as a shadow appeared in the window of the door. The faces of Izzy, Kari, TK and their partners lit up, recognizing the figure immediately.

"It's Joe!" TK said happily as Joe slid the door open and walked in the room.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)

"Hey, guys!" Joe said happily, walking into the room with a bag slung over his shoulder. "Am I late?"

"No, we're still waiting for Cody," said Izzy.

"It's good to see you again Joe," said Kari. "How's medical school?"

"It's busy," Joe wiped some sweat off his brow. "But it's not surprising, since I'm studying to be a doctor."

"You're studying medicine?" Yolei asked intrigued as she held Poromon in her arms. Joe looked over at Yolei with mild surprise.

"Oh! You're one of the new Digidestined, right?"

"Oh! Yes, my name is Yolei Inoue, and this is my partner Poromon!" Yolei said, realizing she hadn't introduced herself yet.

"And this is Upamon," Patamon motioned to the small Digimon. "He's Cody's partner."

"Cody…" Joe nodded, remembering the name before looking over at Davis. "Good to see you again, Davis. How's the arm?"

"It's doing better." Davis pulled his sleeve up to reveal a long, thin mark on his arm, caused by Kuwagamon's surprise attack weeks before. "It doesn't hurt so much, and I don't have to wear the bandages anymore."

"Good," Joe smiled lightly before looking at Izzy seriously. "Izzy, I got a distress signal from Gomamon when I was at school."

"So did we," Izzy said, showing Joe the black square flashing red. "We're just waiting for Cody to come here so we can go…"

"I'm here!" Everyone looked up to see Cody standing in the doorway, panting slightly from running. Though the distance from the precinct to school wasn't far, it was still an exhausting run for the young boy.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"You're back already?" Davis asked in surprise, looking up at the clock.

"Well, it's about time!" said an upset Upamon, who bounced over to Cody. "I was about to go in without you!"

"I'm sorry Upamon," Cody said remorsefully, picking up his Digimon.

"So you're Cody, huh?" Joe asked, looking down at the small boy with a light smile. "I'm Joe Kido. I'm a Digidestined like you."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Joe," Cody greeted Joe with a small bow. "My name is Cody Hida." Joe smiled again, liking Cody's polite personality.

"Hey Joe, what's in this bag?" Poromon asked as he fluttered up to the bag on Joe's shoulders. "It's like Yolei's convenience store bags. Is there candy in it?"

"No, it's medical supplies in case someone gets hurt or sick in the Digital World," Joe answered with a light laugh. "It never hurts to be prepared."

"As usual, you've thought of everything Joe," TK said with a chuckle.

"Well, I don't have the Crest of Reliability for nothing, you know!" Joe said with a laugh. Cody perked up when he heard what Joe said.

'Reliability…' the young boy thought, looking up at the teenager. 'I wonder if Joe could give me some lessons as well on being reliable…'

"Well, now that we're all here, let's go to the Digital World!" Yolei held up her D-3 in front of the screen and spoke the word to open it. "Digital Gate, open!"

* * *

A flash of light later, and the group of thirteen found themselves in the middle of a snowy white field. Yolei and Cody immediately threw their arms around themselves when they were hit by the cold atmosphere around them.

"Aw man!" said Yolei. "I know the signal was up north, but I didn't think it would be North Pole north! It's freezing!"

"I don't like it anymore than you do Yolei," Cody said with a shiver. "But it's not like we can control the weather and make the sun come out." The two new Digidestined looked over to see the other Digidestined walking through the snow without looking cold at all, despite the lack of thick clothing.

"How come you're not freezing?!" asked Yolei.

"Well, it's not the first time we've ended up in frozen wastelands in the Digital World," TK said in a matter-of-fact tone. "We've learned to go with the flow by now."

"Lucky," Yolei grumbled.

"Here," Joe pulled out packets of orange liquid from his medical bag and handed them to Yolei and Cody. "Squeeze them, and you'll warm up in an instant."

"Thank you Joe," Cody said as he squeezed the pack, instantly feeling the soothing heat. "This does feel good."

"Yeah, it does," Joe said before looking off in the distance with a worried expression. "Still, I wonder where Gomamon could be…"

"I'm still freezing!" Yolei said as she rubbed her heat packet, which suddenly fell on the snow.

"Oops." Bending down, Yolei picked up the heat packet, and gasped when she saw a closed eye where the packet melted the snow.

"Guys, there's a Digimon buried in the snow here!" The others immediately gathered around Yolei, and Joe gasped when he recognized the fur around the eye.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Gomamon! Quick, help me dig him out!" The Digidestined obliged, and shoveled the snow off of Gomamon with their hands, revealing Gomamon's battered and bleeding form in a matter of moments.

"Gomamon! Wake up, pal!" Joe said, taking the wounded seal in his arms and shaking him lightly. Gomamon moaned and stirred, eventually opening his eyes, which fell on a familiar face. Even if the hair had grown out, there was no mistaken him.

"Joe…you came…"

"Well, of course I did," Joe said, standing up and holding Gomamon tenderly in his arms. "Even when we were apart, I worried about you. You didn't think I'd leave you alone, did you?"

"Of course not…" Gomamon nuzzled in Joe's arms. "I was wondering…when you would show up…I'm glad you got my message…"

"At least someone cares about their partner," Armadillomon grumbled, getting a shocked look from Cody, which became sad in a moment. He quickly knew why his partner was like this. But he didn't know how to fix things between them. Turning away, the boy's eyes widened when he saw a familiar black shape in the distance.

"Guys, I think I see the Control Spire!" The other Digidestined turned around and noticed the tower as well.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"Good eye, Cody," Davis praised the young boy.

"So that's a Control Spire," Joe said, seeing the tall black obelisk for the first time.

"Yes, and they serve three purposes," said Izzy. "The first purpose is showing the Digimon Emperor's dominance over an area."

"That map you saw back in the computer room was a grid map of the Digital World," said Tentomon. "The black squares are Emperor territory, and the white squares are free areas."

"The second purpose is to fuel energy to the Dark Rings that the Emperor uses to enslave Digimon," said Yolei.

"Yeah…that Digimon Emperor told a bunch of Gizamon that he would reward them if they beat me up," Gomamon said, wincing from his injuries. "And the reward was slavery for life."

"So that's why you're all beat up…" Joe said sadly, looking at his partner.

"And the third purpose is to prevent our Digimon from Digivolving normally," said TK. "That's what Armor Digivolution is for."

"I see…" Joe said, looking at the tower again. "So if we destroy that Control Spire, we'll free this area and any enslaved Digimon from the Digimon Emperor, and our Digimon will Digivolve normally again."

"That's pretty much the sum of it, yes," said Davis.

"It's not just the Spire we have to destroy," said Gomamon. "The Digimon Emperor's making a prison near the Spire!"

"Another prison?!" Yolei asked in anger. "Oh, we are so tearing that down as well!"

"From the looks of it, I'd say that Spire is twenty miles from where we currently are," said Gatomon, squinting her eyes to look in the distance.

"And if I may make a suggestion, let's not walk all the way there," asked Tentomon, flitting above the Digidestined. "The wind out there is below zero, and none of us are polar bears!"

"Joe, did you bring any skates or skis in that bag of yours?" Yolei asked, looking down at the medical bag.

"Hey, I usually come prepared, but not that prepared," Joe said with a laugh. Davis looked over at the nearby trees, and an idea came to him.

"Did you at least bring some rope?" asked the burgundy-haired boy.

"That I did bring, why?" Joe asked, slightly confused.

"Because I have an idea to get across the field fast," Davis said with a grin. "If we cut down some trees and tie them together, we can make a sled and have the Digimon pull us there."

"That's actually a good idea," said Kari, "but how are we going to cut down the trees?"

"Hello, do you not see six capable hands?" Tentomon asked, getting the Digidestined to look at him, Veemon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Patamon and Gatomon.

"Oh…right!" Kari said, embarrassed that she forgot the Digimon were here.

"You guys don't mind cutting down these trees?" TK asked the Digimon.

"Of course not!" said Patamon. "We won't be using up too much energy!"

"You don't mind helping, do you Armadillomon?" Cody asked his partner. Armadillomon simply huffed and turned away to help the other Digimon.

"Sure…whatever." Cody sighed at his partner's grumble, realizing how badly his partner must have been feeling to be without him during his kendo practice. In a matter of minutes, a number of trees were brought down by the six Digimon, and with Joe's rope, they tied the logs together to make a sled, as well as harnesses for the Digimon to pull.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saa, Hashiridasou)

"All right guys, it's up to you!" Davis said to the Digimon. "You sure you can do this?"

"Hey, if it means knocking down a tower, then I'm in!" said Tentomon.

"I'm counting on you, Armadillomon," Cody said to his partner, who said nothing as he looked the other way.

"Here we go, guys! Mush!" At Davis's command, Veemon, Armadillomon and Patamon ran on all fours while Patamon, Tentomon and Hawkmon flew overhead, their destination the Control Spire and the prison.

* * *

"Hurry it up!" Ken yelled as he continued overseeing the prison's construction. The iron structure had finally been built, and the Gizamon and Frigimon were now working on the concrete walls. Stingmon stood next to Ken, his eyes sweeping across the area for any incoming threats, which he found on his right and speeding fast towards the Spire.

"Ken…they're here." Turning around, Ken's eyes narrowed when he saw the approaching sled. He realized that he would have to have some of his workers move away from the prison and focus on attacking the Digidestined.

"Frigimon, form a line and defend the Spire! Gizamon, continue building the prison! Stingmon, come with me! We'll need some reinforcements." Stingmon nodded and walked away with Ken, wondering how the Digidestined would get out of this one.

"This sled is the fastest I've ever been on!" Yolei said with a laugh. In less than three minutes, the Digidestined had twelve miles of the plain and were getting closer to the Control Spire and the prison.

"It looks like we'll reach the spire in two minutes," Izzy said, looking into the distance, "given we don't run into any problems!"

"Wait a minute…" Davis said, his goggles covering his eyes for wind protection. Squinting his eyes, Davis saw several white shapes standing in front of the Spires, and he recognized the shapes.

"Hey, you guys see that, right?" the goggled boy called to the Digimon.

"Yeah, we do!" Veemon said, breathing heavily from his running. "It's a group of Frigimon, and they've all got Dark Rings!"

"You just had to say something, Izzy…" Joe groaned.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Gekitotsu)

"Frigimon, attack!" the Digimon Emperor yelled from his place on a cliff once the sled was several feet away from the Spire.

"SUBZERO ICE PUNCH!" The Frigimon raised their right arms and thrust them forward, releasing waves of cold air that hit the snowy ground around the Digidestined, creating explosions of dirt and snow. The Digimon expertly swerved around to avoid the attacks, but snow still ended up on the Digidestined.

"Sometimes, I hate the cold," Davis muttered, shaking snow off his face.

"Guys, we've got to speed past them!" called Izzy. "We can reach the Spire that way!"

"Izzy's right!" agreed Joe. "If our goal here is to destroy the tower, then we have to keep going for it and not waste energy fighting the Frigimon!"

"Good point!" yelled TK. "Guys, keep going!"

"Okay!" the Digimon said, picking up speed and heading right past the Frigimon for the Control Spire.

"I don't think so," Ken said with a smirk. "Frigimon! Attack the cliff! Create an avalanche and bury the Digidestined alive in an ice cold grave!"

Obeying the order, the Frigimon turned around and fired their Subzero Ice Punch on the hill, causing a massive slide of snow and ice to come down and head for the Digidestined.

"Oh, come on!" Davis said as he saw the avalanche. "Forget the Spire! Turn so we don't get crushed!" The Digimon quickly obliged and turned to avoid the avalanche, managing to get out of the path in time.

"All right, we made it past that!" Kari said happily.

But the good feeling didn't last long. Turning around again, the Digidestined screamed when they saw the path they were on ended on a cliff leading into an ice-cold river.

"STOP!" Armadillomon yelled loudly, realizing the situation. The other Digimon immediately dug their claws in the ground to stop the sled, which managed to stop right at the edge of the cliff. The sled flipped over on its side and Joe, Izzy, Kari, Davis, Yolei and Gomamon fell off, receiving a face full of snow. Cody had it worst however, being the lightest of the Digidestined, flew off the sled and over the edge of the cliff, landing in the water below.

"CODY!" Davis yelled, looking down at the water below. "We've got to get him out before he freezes!"

"Leave that to me!" Ignoring his still hurting injuries, Gomamon leapt out of Joe's arms and landed in the river, emerging moments later with Cody on his back.

"Good work Gomamon, but are you sure it was a good idea to move with those injuries?" Joe asked as he pulled Cody and Gomamon out of the water, wrapping the former up in a blanket he pulled out from his medical bag.

"I don't care how hurt I am, I'll still help my friends," said Gomamon. Cody gasped and coughed as his whole body shook and shuddered from the unexpected swim he just had. "Besides, I'm the only one that can take cold waters like this?"

"Cody? What's wrong with him?!" Armadillomon asked, starting to panic.

"He's freezing like mad," Joe said grimly. "We need to get him somewhere warm!"

"There's a cave nearby," said Gomamon. "If we get there and light up a fire, we can warm him up."

"Show us the way, quickly!" Gomamon followed Joe's instruction and led everyone to the cave. As they went, Armadillomon suddenly felt worry for his partner. He had just nearly frozen to death while the yellow Digimon was still upset at him for leaving him behind.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, a fire had been started and Cody was sat close to it, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Cody…" Armadillomon said sadly, his previous negative feelings for his partner gone.

"Here, take this cold medicine," Joe handed a bottle over to Cody.

"Thank…thank you…Joe…" Cody said, sneezing before he took the medicine. As the Digidestined watched Joe take care of Cody, Davis's mind flashed back to a moment similar to the one he was in right now back in the day with Ken and Cody.

* * *

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

 _"Ryo, his fever is absolutely spiking," Ken said with worry, feeling the heat on his hand, which rested on Davis's forehead. "I don't think we can move him."_

 _"Great…" Ryo said angrily, looking out from the hut they were staying in. "And those Goblimon will be back soon…"_

 _"I…I'm sorry…" Davis said, coughing and hacking from his bed. "I…I don't mean to drag you down…"_

 _Davis, Ken and Ryo had come upon a village with their partners. They learned that the villagers were being terrorized by a gang of Goblimon that came to the village on a daily basis to steal their food and water supply. Refusing to let this happen, the three boys had volunteered to scare off the Goblimon. But the situation became bad when Davis was struck with a dangerous fever he had attracted during the journey, prompting his friends to care after him. The burgundy-haired boy could only curse his luck at getting sick and being unable to help out._

 _"Davis, don't blame yourself," Ryo said softly, sitting next to Davis's side and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault you got sick. Ken could have come down with it as well as I."_

 _"I know…but we're supposed to be a team…" Davis said weakly, coughing again as Veemon came over and sat next to Davis._

 _"And the health of our teammates is important," said Ryo. "That's why we'll need you to stay here."_

 _"Stay?" Davis attempted to sit up, but was forced back down by Ken and Wormmon._

 _"Don't," Ken said gently. "Please Davis, we don't need you to get your fever worse."_

 _"But…where are you going?" Davis asked Ryo._

 _"I'm taking Ken with me and we're going to find the Goblimon's base," said Ryo._

 _"If we take out their base, then those little green freaks will have to run away from here," Monodramon said, cracking his knuckles, ready for a fight._

 _"But…what about me…?"_

 _"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you," said Veemon._

 _"Besides, if you do get better, then the villagers will need you and Veemon here in case any of the Goblimon come here while we're gone," said Wormmon._

 _"You sure I can do it…?" Davis asked, looking up at his friends._

 _"We know you can do it," Ryo placed both hands on his shoulders._

 _"We believe in you Davis," Ken said softly._

 _"You just have to believe in yourself," Monodramon finished. With that, Ken and Ryo left with their partners, leaving Veemon to care for the sickly Davis._

END FLASHBACK

* * *

Davis had gotten better shortly after Ken and Ryo had left, and like Wormmon predicted, a group of Goblimon had come to the village. With Davis feeling better, Veemon was able to Digivolve to ExVeemon and fight off the Goblimon. After their base was destroyed by Strikedramon and Stingmon, the Goblimon gang was forced to run away.

"Now what do we do?" Kari asked, prompting Davis to look at her worried face. "We can't move Cody at all from here…"

"We'll have to leave him here with Joe," Davis said, standing up and getting everyone to look at him. "Joe, I'm counting on you to take care of Cody while we're gone. The rest of us will go and take care of the Control Spire and the prison."

"What?" Cody asked, attempting to stand up, but didn't feel the strength coming. "But…but Davis…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne…)

"No buts," Davis said in a stern tone that reminded him of Ryo when the older boy needed to get a point across to someone. "You're sick and you shouldn't be moving much at all."

"But…but I left my kendo practice early to come here," said the young boy. "And my grandfather told me that a person is only reliable to other people as he is to himself! I can't let you down…otherwise I wouldn't be able to face my grandfather…"

"You're not letting us down at all," Davis said softly. "Besides, chances are the Digimon Emperor may have seen us enter this cave. If he attacks it, then we'll need someone to distract him while we take care of the Spire!"

"That's a good idea Davis," said Joe. "Besides, Cody's health is more important."

"He's right!" agreed Armadillomon. Realizing there was no room for argument, Cody sighed and nodded to let the other Digidestined go.

"Don't worry," Izzy reassured the young boy. "Everything will be okay." And with that, Joe, Cody, Gomamon and Armadillomon watched the others leave the cave and board the sled again, heading for the Control Spire.

* * *

"All right, here we are." Davis peeped from behind a snowbank near the Control Spire. The Digimon stood ready in their Armor levels while Izzy sat on the sled with his computer open.

"All right, I'm analyzing the Control Spire," the red-haired boy looked over the schematics. "Keep the Frigimon occupied while I work."

"We're on it, Izzy!" said Flamedramon, charging from around the snowbank and towards the Frigimon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"FIRE ROCKET!" Setting his body on fire, Flamedramon knocked down three Frigimon in his path as Halsemon, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon took flight to attack.

"ROSETTA STONE!" Nefertimon's stone tablet flew out at a Frigimon, who froze the tablet solid with his Subzero Ice Punch.

"STAR SHOWER!" Pegasusmon's attack rained down on two more Frigimon, forcing them back.

"All right!" yelled Davis. "Halsemon, now's your chance!"

"I'm on it!" Halsemon flew up, his eyes set on the Control Spire. "MACH…"

But before Halsemon could finish yelling out his attack, a green blur fell from out of the sky and collided with Halsemon, knocking him out of the sky and crashing into the ground below.

"Halsemon!" Yolei cried with worry as her partner stood back up and glared at his attacker, revealed to be Stingmon.

"I shall not allow you to interfere in my partner's plans!" Stingmon stated, taking flight again as he engaged Halsemon in an aerial fight.

"Blast…the Emperor must have left him here for us," Davis muttered.

"Which means he may have found Cody and Joe by now," TK said fretfully.

"Don't worry," said Izzy, continuing his analysis. "If I know Joe well, he's got everything handled."

"That's why he's called Good Old Reliable Joe!" Tentomon said with a chuckle. The ground suddenly started to shake before the Digidestined, shocking everyone.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Yolei's question was answered moments later when the ground behind the Digidestined broke open and a giant white squid Digimon with a Dark Ring on his left tentacle crawled out, growling at the Digidestined.

"It's Gesomon!" gasped Izzy, recognizing the Digimon instantly.

"DEADLY SHADE!" Gesomon's mouth opened up and spewed out thick black ink that nearly hit Izzy had TK and Tentomon not pulled him off in time. The ink splattered all over the sled and caused the wood and ropes to dissolve from the acid in the ink.

"Guys, we've got a problem!" Davis called to the Digimon. Pegasusmon noticed the problem and quickly turned his attention to Gesomon.

"EQUIS BEAM!" The green beam hit Gesomon in the face, and the squid Digimon snarled, swiping his tentacles at the winged horse and yelling, "CORAL CRUSHER!"

"SUBZERO ICE PUNCH!" The six Frigimon threw their attacks at Flamedramon, but the dragon man shielded himself with flames that melted the attacks instantly. He knew he could do this all day, but he didn't have the time or energy to fight all the Frigimon one by one.

"Can this get any worse?!" Yolei yelled out.

"How about that?" Davis asked, pointing in the distance where several Gizamon had paused from building the prison to aid Gesomon and the Frigimon. Noticing the new attackers, Nefertimon swooped down and began pelting them with her Nile Jewelry.

"Let's hope Joe and Cody are doing better than us!" Tentomon said as he looked around at the fight.

* * *

Back in the cave, Cody continued sitting in front of the fire with his blanket on, the warmth slowly coming back to his body.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare 2)

"Cody, I…I want to apologize for earlier," Armadillomon said, walking over to Cody and placing his head on his partner's leg. "I didn't know you left your kendo lesson early. I thought you liked it more than me…I guess that's why I was crabby for most of the day."

"No, I'm sorry," Cody said, softly stroking Armadillomon's head. "I wanted to come here to help you…but I let everyone down…I really screwed up…"

"I know how that feels," said Joe. "I ditched a quiz I had at school today to come here, but I knew this was more important."

"Joe…you have the Crest of Reliability, right?" asked Cody, remembering their introduction from earlier. "How…how do you be reliable?"

"Ah…I see," Joe said with a sad smile. "You want to be reliable as well, don't you?"

"I feel…I feel inferior to the others, because of my age," Cody said sadly. "I just want to prove that I can hold my own as well, and I can't do it if I get sick."

"But you're doing your best, right?" Cody nodded to answer Joe's question. "Then that's fine."

"What do you mean?" Cody asked confused.

"Cody…let me tell you a little bit about being reliable," Joe scooted over and wrapped an arm around Cody. "When I first came here to the Digital World, I wasn't this confident, prepared teenager I am now. I was absolutely scared out of my wits being in a new world."

"Yeah, the first words you said to me was calling me a 'thing,'" Gomamon muttered.

"I wasn't just terrified, but I was also very clumsy and awkward. But I tried my best to help my friends since I was the oldest Digidestined. Sometimes, I'm still clumsy and awkward, and there are some things here in this world that still give me a scare…but back then, I was afraid of screwing up…but in the end, I earned my place on the team, and new friends that knew I could be counted on."

"So they never criticized you, or made fun of you for being clumsy and afraid?" asked Cody, who listened attentively to the older boy.

"No, I had my fair share of flak," Joe said with a laugh. "But like I said, in the end I earned my place and my friends' trust. I just tried my hardest, and I didn't give up when it counted the most. You do that Cody, and you'll prove yourself."

"I see. Thank you Joe," Cody said, realizing that Joe's words were similar to his own grandfather's words. Hearing them from an experienced Digidestined put his mind at ease. The next time an opportunity presented itself, he would prove his worth.

Just then, a loud explosion shook the cave, causing rocks to fall off the ceiling.

"It's a cave in!" yelled Joe. "We need to get out of here!" The two boys ran out, Joe carrying Gomamon and Armadillomon supporting Cody. Upon exiting the cave, they were met with the sight of the Digimon Emperor, and by his left was a Shellmon, massive pink Digimon with green hair and a giant gray shell.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"You actually thought you could destroy the Control Spire while I kept your friends at bay, did you?" the Emperor asked with a confident smirk. "Get them, Shellmon!"

"HYDRO BLASTER!" Bending his head down, Shellmon released a blast of pressurized water from his hair, Cody and Joe just barely dodging the attack.

"Cody, we have to buy the others some time," Joe whispered to the young boy. "This is your moment!" Cody nodded, understanding what Joe meant.

"Armadillomon, it's up to us," he said to his partner, who nodded in to acknowledge his partner. Cody quickly moved away from Armadillomon, feeling much better now, and pulled out his D-3.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR, ENERGIZE!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"Woah!" Joe gasped as he looked at the yellow insect Digimon. "So this is Armor Digivolution!"

"Come on, pinky!" Digmon said, running forward and stopping Shellmon from advancing by grabbing his right foot and holding it with his strength.

"Grr!" Shellmon growled as he pushed his foot down to crush Digmon, but the drill-bit insect refused to back down.

"Shellmon, stop playing around!" yelled the Emperor. "Put all of your strength in crushing him!" Shellmon growled again as he began applying more pressure to his leg that was on top of Digmon, who gasped from feeling the extra weight being applied. Digmon was resilient, but even he had limits…and Cody was realizing the limits his partner had.

"Digmon!" the young boy cried as he ran over to the fight.

"Cody, get back here!" Joe yelled to the young Digidestined, but it was too late as Shellmon noticed the boy and instantly changed targets.

"HYDRO BLASTER!" Cody gasped when he saw the water approach him at a fast rate. He simply closed his eyes and raised his arms up, preparing for the impact.

"CODY!" Seeing that his partner was about to become wet again, Digmon found a new burst of strength, forcing Shellmon's foot off of him.

"Hang on, Cody!" Digmon quickly grabbed the young boy in his arms and dropped down to his knees, sliding forward several feet when Shellmon's attack hit him in the back.

"Digmon…" Cody said with a gasp, not knowing what to make of it.

"I'm going to protect you no matter what, Cody!" said Digmon. "Hold tight!" Holding Cody in his lower arms, Digmon quickly turned around and aimed his drills at the approaching Shellmon.

"GOLD RUSH!" The drills shot forward and collided with the Dark Ring, shattering it to pieces and releasing Shellmon.

"You did it, Digmon!" Cody said happily, watching Shellmon escape into the ocean. Both Cody and Joe then turned their attention to the Digimon Emperor.

"All right kid, how's it going to be?" asked Joe. "Are you going to come quietly?"

"As if!" Ken said with a laugh. "I'm never out of ideas…or slaves!" Ken gestured to the water behind him, which burst up when a Digimon that looked like a giant crawfish with big claws appeared out of the water.

"Who's that Digimon? I don't think I've ever seen him before!" Joe said with a gasp.

"That's Ebidramon!" yelled Gomamon.

"Ebidramon, crush the Digmon!" Ken ordered, gesturing to the Armor level Digimon.

"TWIN SCISSORS!" Ebidramon leapt forward and clamped his pincers around Digmon, dragging him into the ocean. Fortunately, Digmon was able to throw Cody back over to Joe before he went under.

"Oh, no!" Cody gasped as he ran over to the cliff's edge and watched Ebidramon thrash Digmon around in the water. "Digmon's had a huge disadvantage!"

"And that Control Spire's still standing," Gomamon muttered angrily, looking at the still standing obelisk.

"Don't think your friends will be able to break down a Spire this time," the Emperor said with a smirk. "My partner Digimon Stingmon is there, as well as the Frigimon and the Gizamon. And I even deployed a Gesomon there just in case."

"A Gesomon?!" yelped Gomamon. "Let's hope they're having better luck!"

* * *

"SUPER SHOCKER!" Tentomon fired his electric attack at the Gesomon's face, getting the giant squid to look at him. The little red insect flew upwards to avoid being swatted by Gesomon's giant tentacles. Tentomon was busy distracting Gesomon so Nefertimon could help Pegasusmon deal with the Gizamon.

"GOLDEN NOOSE!" Both holy type Digimon created their golden rope and wove it around several times, creating a golden net that trapped all the Gizamon.

"Sorry about this," Pegasusmon said to the Gizamon, "but you'll be okay once we take down the Spire!"

"Leave the Spire to me!" Flamedramon said, throwing the Frigimon around like rag dolls. "I can handle the Frigimon better than you! Take care of Gesomon! FLAMING FIST!" Flamedramon's fireballs lobbed forward and struck the Frigimon down one by one. They had been able to resist the fireballs before, but Flamedramon was well-rested, compared to the snowmen who had been busy building the prison site, and the Frigimon collapsed.

In the skies above, Halsemon continued his aerial battle with Stingmon, releasing his Tempest Wing attack to disorient the green insect Digimon, but Stingmon's speed was greater than Halsemon's, and he quickly dodged the tornado.

"MOON SHOOTER!" Stingmon fired the needles from his arm, but Halsemon dodged every one. Stingmon then flew right up to Halsemon and riddled the griffin Digimon with kicks from his Hell Squeeze attack.

"You are definitely a strong fighter," Stingmon said, praising his opponent. "But you have a long way to go if you want to be in my league."

"I do not understand this," said Halsemon. "You are clearly the Digimon partner to the Digimon Emperor, and you have no Dark Ring on you."

"You are correct," said Stingmon. "I follow him of my own free will."

"Why, then?" questioned Halsemon. "Why do you fight for him if you know what he is doing is not right?"

"I already gave my reasons before," Stingmon said forlornly. "He is still my partner and I shall fight for him, and protect him…" Stingmon then looked down at the ground below and added, "…just like how I'm sure you'll do the same for your partner."

"What?" Confused at hearing Stingmon's statement, Halsemon followed Stingmon's gaze, and gasped at what he saw: Yolei, being cornered by Gesomon, who looked ready to crush the girl.

"Well?" Stingmon asked, looking back at Halsemon. "What are you waiting for?" Halsemon hesitated slightly, but he knew Stingmon was right. Yolei was in danger, and he had to protect her. Giving one last glare to Stingmon, Halsemon flew down like he was shot out of a cannon, intending to protect Yolei. Stingmon then looked down, and saw Flamedramon ready to destroy the Control Spire.

"FIRE ROCKET!" Flamedramon charged for the Spire, but was suddenly knocked out of the way by Stingmon, who extended his arm spikes.

"Not today, Flamedramon," said Stingmon. "SPIKING FINISH!" Flamedramon cursed as he rolled out of the way of the attack. This is not what he was hoping to do.

"Yolei, get out of the way!" Izzy and the other Digidestined yelled as Gesomon advanced for Yolei. The lavender-haired girl could only scoot away in fear from the giant squid, who had managed to blind Pegasusmon with his Deadly Shade attack before knocking him into Nefertimon, taking the holy type Digimon out of the equation. Gesomon had then turned his attention to the humans, and unfortunately for Yolei, she was his first choice.

"Stay away from me!" Yolei screamed, throwing snow into Gesomon's face. However, this only served to anger Gesomon, and he opened his mouth up to perform one of his special attacks.

"DEADLY SHADE!" Yolei could only close her eyes and wait for the worst of it, as she knew there wasn't enough time to dodge. She heard the ink being discharged, she heard it sail through the air to land on her, and then she heard her own voice yelling deep in pain.

The glasses-wearing girl suddenly opened her eyes when she heard the scream. She didn't scream, and she knew her voice wasn't deep. And when she looked over herself, she realized not a drop of Gesomon's ink had landed on her. Confused about this, Yolei noticed there was another shadow in front of her. Looking up, Yolei gasped when she saw it was Halsemon, his entire back covered in acidic ink. Halsemon groaned as he felt the ink burn his body, but he refused to back down while his partner was in danger.

"EAGLE EYE!" Halsemon's red eye beams hit Gesomon in the face, but it only served to anger the white squid Digimon, who roared out, "CORAL CRUSHER!" and swatted Halsemon away with his massive tentacles. Halsemon roared as he was sent flying into the Spire and crashed into it, leaving a crater in it as he slid down and collapsed, reverting to Hawkmon, patches of his feathers burned away by the ink. Yolei could only watch in horror as her partner was hurt in front of her.

"Hawk…Hawkmon…" Yolei trembled and felt tears in her eyes as she yelled her partner's name at the top of her lungs.

"HAWKMON!"

"Oh, no!" Kari said, looking from Hawkmon to Pegasusmon and Nefertimon. All three Digimon were down, and the only one they had left was fighting Stingmon, unable to get to the Control Spire. "Flamedramon is the only one left!"

"Not for long!" Tentomon said, pointing to the Control Spire. The Digidestined turned and gasped when they noticed the Control Spire was crackling electricity; the crater made by Halsemon's impact with it managed to damage it severely. Izzy looked down and noticed his Digivice's screen glowing.

"Izzy, I think it's time I got in on the action!" Tentomon said, wings fluttering like mad. "And I think we should go up a bit if we want to destroy that prison!"

"You read my mind, Tentomon!" Izzy said with a grin, his Digivice turning purple with orange buttons as Tentomon began feeling the energy flow to him.

* * *

"Digmon, hang in there!" Cody called down to his partner, who was managing to fare well against Digimon, but the freezing water, and the fact that Digimon was underwater kept him from doing much against Ebidramon.

"It's useless," said the Emperor. "My Control Spire is still standing and fully…operational?" the Emperor's voice became confused and Cody and Joe both wondered what caused his demeanor to change from smug to shocked. Looking into the distance, they noticed the Control Spire was releasing electricity.

"Uh…is that supposed to do that?" Joe asked in a worried tone.

"No!" Cody said, recognizing the effects from Santa Geria. "That means the Control Spire is damaged! Joe, check your Digivice!" Joe nodded and pulled out his Digivice, noticing the glowing screen.

"Gomamon," Joe looked down at his partner, knowing what this meant. Gomamon nodded, getting the idea as well.

"I'll have to go up quite a bit," said Gomamon. "Ebidramon's not your average Champion level Digimon, and I'm still a little sore."

"Got it," Joe said. "Go for it!" Gomamon leaped out of Joe's arms and into the water, glowing in tandem with Joe's Digivice, which turned gray with black buttons as Gomamon changed form.

(Play Digimon: Brave Heart ~tri. Version~)

"GOMAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…IKKAKUMON!" Gomamon emerged from the water as a giant white-furred walrus with a horn on his head. Ikkakumon took aim at Ebidramon, who emerged from the water again with Digmon in his grasp.

"HARPOON TORPEDO!" Ikkakumon's horn shot off his head and split open to reveal a red and green missile. The missile soared through the sky and hit Ebidramon, who was forced to release Digmon. The shrimp Digimon turned around and leapt for Ikkakumon, but the walrus Digimon glowed again as he Digivolved again.

"IKKAKUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ZUDOMON!" Ikkakumon changed into a giant gray-skinned Digimon with orange fur, a green turtle shell with spikes, and a giant hammer in his right hand.

"VULCAN'S HAMMER!" Swinging his hammer up, Zudomon brought it down on Ebidramon, creating an explosion of water. When the tower of water settled down, Ebidramon reemerged, his eyes now yellow as the Dark Ring has been broken, freeing him from the Emperor's control.

"All right, Zudomon!" Joe said as Cody looked over at the Emperor with a glare. The Emperor could only glare back, knowing that if his Spire was damaged, it would only be a matter of time before it was destroyed completely, along with his prison. He had to escape now.

"You have nowhere to go now!" said the young boy.

"That's what you think," the Emperor said, pressing a button on his D-3. The Emperor vanished in a dark mist to everybody's shock.

"Darn it!" Cody yelled in anger. "We almost had him!"

"It's all right Cody," Joe said as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You showed him that you could be strong by yourself."

"But…I couldn't help Digmon…" Cody said, looking over as his partner and Zudomon emerged from the water.

"But you tried," said Joe, "and that's what's most important. You proved yourself to be dependable. And I'm sure your friends will be able to depend on you in the future."

"Thank you, Joe," Cody said with a light blush.

"Joe, we should get over to the Spire," said Zudomon. "Just in case the others need help."

"I think they'll be fine," said Joe. "If the Control Spire is damaged, then Tentomon should be able to Digivolve as well to help."

* * *

Joe's suspicions were correct as back at the Spire and prison, Tentomon glowed bright purple and Digivolved to help fight.

"TENTOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KABUTERIMON!"

Tentomon first changed into a giant blue rhinoceros beetle with a silver horned helmet that took flight to help Flamedramon.

"CORAL CRUSHER!" Gesomon attempted to strike Flamedramon, who was still fighting Stingmon, but Kabuterimon grabbed both of Gesomon's giant tentacles and swung around, throwing Gesomon into the Control Spire. Crossing his four arms together, Kabuterimon gathered up a mass of electricity into a blue and purple ball before releasing it with a yell of "ELECTRO SHOCKER!" The ball of electricity hit Gesomon and the Control Spire, the giant tower falling like a mighty oak tree.

"All right, the Spire's down!" cheered Davis.

"Kabuterimon, Digivolve again and destroy the prison!" Izzy said, his Digivice vibrating to enable Kabuterimon's second Digivolution.

"KABUTERIMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…MEGAKABUTERIMON!" MegaKabuterimon was twice Kabuterimon's size, and had a red body with hard shell, and equally giant horn bigger than Kabuterimon's.

"HORN BUSTER!" MegaKabuterimon rammed into Stingmon first, knocking the green insect Digimon off his feet and away from Flamedramon. Stingmon immediately took flight and flew away from the snow land, knowing he was now outmatched against an Ultimate level Digimon.

"HORN BUSTER!" This time, MegaKabuterimon's Horn Buster was a blast of electrical energy that flew forward and destroyed the prison, leaving it a smoking wreck of iron and rubble.

"That's that," TK said.

"Hey guys!" The Digidestined turned at the sound of Joe's voice to see Zudomon and Digmon hurrying towards them, the former carrying Joe and Cody on his back. Once Joe and Cody slid off Zudomon, the Digimon all reverted to their previous forms.

"Is everybody all right?" Joe asked as he looked around at the Digimon.

"Not quite everybody," Kari said, gesturing to her left. Joe looked over and saw what Kari was talking about. Yolei was down on her knees in the snow, cradling a still Hawkmon in her arms.

"Hawkmon…Hawkmon, please wake up…say something!" Yolei cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"What happened?" Joe questioned, walking over to inspect the injured Digimon.

"Gesomon tried to attack Yolei and Hawkmon took his Deadly Shade for her," explained Davis. "It was made worse when he slammed Hawkmon into the Control Spire and damaged it."

"I see…so that's how it happened," Joe muttered before bending down next to the sobbing girl.

"Yolei…hand Hawkmon off to me. I'll help him as best I can."

"Yes…please do, Joe," Yolei said, handing Hawkmon off to the older boy. The lavender-haired girl was still shivering, but it wasn't from the cold this time. It was seeing her Digimon partner be hurt badly in front of her.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"So you're telling me Gesomon damaged the Control Spire when he was battling Halsemon," Ken said. Once he had returned to the base with Wormmon, the caterpillar Digimon told him what happened.

"Yes, and I was too busy fighting Flamedramon to prevent it from happening," continued Wormmon. "I knew it was a bad idea to bring Gesomon along. Even when he has a Dark Ring, he can still be tough to handle."

"I agree," Ken said, looking at the newly turned white square on the map with clenched teeth. "And that was the area I had just acquired…we'll have to think of a new strategy Wormmon. What do you think?"

"I'm not sure…" said Wormmon. "Every Digimon we have is Rookie to Champion level, and Davis and the others can handle those easily with Armor Digivolution." Ken took a moment to ponder on Wormmon's words as he pulled up a list of all the Digimon he had so far in his army: Airdramon, Meramon, Guardromon, Mekanorimon, Cyclonemon, Centarumon, and many others. He realized that Wormmon was right. He had no Digimon higher than Champion level…perhaps it was time to change that.

"Well, then…I suppose it's time to find us some Ultimate level Digimon."

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Itsumo no Seikatsu)

The Digidestined had returned to the computer lab in the school, and like the other Digimon partners, Gomamon had come along with them as well. Yolei had left immediately once the portal brought everybody back with Poromon in her arms. Joe had managed to bandage up Hawkmon's injuries, but the bird Digimon still wouldn't stir, even after reverting to Poromon.

"Do you think Yolei and Poromon will be okay?" asked Kari.

"I'm sure they will be," said Davis. "Poromon's still breathing…so he's still alive…" something in Davis's voice indicated he was grateful Hawkmon didn't die today. Though Kari didn't pick it up, TK did, and he realized even more now about Davis than he did before.

"Man, it's really good to be back here with you, Joe!" Gomamon said from his place on Joe's head. "Tell me, has life been boring without me?"

"Oh yeah…it's been boring without your bad jokes!" Joe laughed.

"I see your sarcasm's still there," Gomamon said, his face split into a big smile. "You missed me, didn't you?"

"I sure did buddy…" Joe picked Gomamon off his head and moved him in his arms. "I haven't been able to focus much on my schoolwork without you there!"

"Well, maybe you can focus now," said Gomamon, getting a nod from Joe.

"Joe…will you be able to help us again in the future?" Cody asked, looking up at the older boy.

"Yeah, I should be able to help out when I don't have schoolwork," said Joe, "but if it's a real emergency, don't hesitate to call me."

"We won't," said Cody. "Also…I was wondering if you were interested in coming to my home sometime. I'm sure my grandfather would like to meet you, and my mother makes very good ohagi."

"If Joe's coming, then I'm coming as well!" said Izzy. "The ohagi Cody's mother makes is the best ohagi yet!"

"Better than your own mother's?" asked Tentomon, causing Izzy to blush.

"Um…well…" Izzy stammered, getting everybody to laugh, even Cody, realizing he could be himself among this group, among people who could rely on him. Standing off to the side, Davis looked at Cody with a knowing glance, realizing he could work well with him in the future.

'Cody seems like a good kid,' Davis thought as he looked up in the sky. 'If only you were here, Ryo…'

Little did Davis know, he would be seeing his lost friend again very soon.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers no Theme)

The Digimon Tamers stood on top of the Hypnos building with their families and the Hypnos staff, their partners by their side and their bags packed. They had received the message moments ago that all four Digimon Sovereigns had finally come together, and they would be arriving soon to open the portal to bring the Tamers to the Digidestined's home dimension. The children were making their final goodbyes to their families. Ryo stood off to the side as his father hadn't come. The brown-haired boy looked up in the sky for any signs of the Digimon Sovereigns, stealing glances to see his friends say goodbye to their families.

"Takato, promise me you'll be okay in this other dimension," Mei Matsuki said, hugging her son close to her. It would be a long while before they would be able to hug again. "Promise me you'll look after Guilmon and the others while you're there as well."

"I promise I will," Takato said, breaking from the hug to look at both his parents. "And I promise…we'll be back."

"And I promise to look after Takato!" Guilmon said happily. "Do you promise to bake Guilmon Bread when we come home?"

"No problem, Guilmon!" Takehiro Matsuki said with a laugh, stroking Guilmon's head. "I'll make a big batch for you and your friends!"

"Yay! Guilmon Bread, Guilmon Bread!" Guilmon chanted, getting chuckles from the Matsuki family.

"Do you have everything you need, Henry?" Janyuu asked as Henry went through his bags.

"Yeah, this should be everything," said the blue-haired boy. "Supplies, clothes, food, scanning devices…this should be everything I need for dimensional travel."

"How do you know you have everything?" asked Terriermon. "You've never traveled to another dimension…and no, the Digital World does not count."

"Ha, ha, very funny Terriermon," Henry said flatly before looking back up to his father.

"Henry, I want you to promise me that you'll look after your sister," Janyuu's gaze turned to his youngest child, wrapped in one final embrace in her mother's arms. "And that you'll look after yourself as well."

"Don't worry Dad, we'll be safe," said Henry.

"Now Suzie," Mayumi Wong said as she pulled Suzie back to look at her in the eyes, "I want you to listen to your brother and Lopmon while you're gone. They're in charge of you."

"I promise Mom, I'll listen to them," Suzie said with a sigh. It bugged her that even though he saw nine, her friends and family still felt she needed protection.

"Suzie, don't be rude," Lopmon said sternly. "Your mother has every right to be worried about you, and I have every right to watch over you as your Digimon partner." Suzie merely nodded, hoping she could finally prove herself in the other dimension as a strong Tamer.

"Rika, please come back in one piece," Rumiko Nonaka said, holding her daughter in her arms. "I don't want to lose you in some other dimension."

"You know me, Mom," Rika said with a small smile. "I'm too tough to die, and the same for Renamon as well."

"I promise I will protect Rika in the other dimension, even if it costs me my life," Renamon said with a small nod.

"Let's hope you both come back alive," said Seiko Hata, Rika's grandmother. "The house wouldn't be the same without either one of you."

"Now Kazu, stay out of trouble in this other dimension," Takako Shioda said as she looked over her son one last time before the Tamers departed. "I do not want to have to hear of another incident…"

"Yes Mom," Kazu said guiltily, knowing what his mother was talking about.

"And don't lose Kokuwamon," said Takako. "Heaven forbid you lose the one thing that makes you a productive member of society…"

"Takako!" Hirofumi Shoida lightly scolded his wife for her comment while Kazu sighed. His mother often joked about Kazu's future job being a Digimon Tamer, due to being obsessed with Digimon all his life.

"Do not worry, madam!" said Kokuwamon. "I shall keep Kazu out of trouble in the world of the Digidestined!"

"Besides, I think Kazu will be too starstruck by the Digidestined to actually do anything!" Kenta said with a chuckle. "God knows I will be…"

"Hey!" Kazu said indignantly.

"Keep an eye on Kazu, Kenta," said Akemi Kitagawa, "and take care of yourself as well!"

"What do you think he does every day?" joked Shiyunsuke Kitagawa.

"Ha, that's a good question!" Betamon said, knowing what Kenta's father was talking about. Kenta did like that his partner could now De-Digivolve to his Rookie form to talk with people. It was hard for him to translate whatever he said when he was MarineAngemon to other people.

"Jeri, I don't understand why you have to go with them," Shizue Katou said to her stepdaughter. "You don't have a partner, don't you?"

"I don't," Jeri said, her heart aching as she thought of her dead partner, "but Impmon is in that other dimension, and Ai and Mako are going there to find him. Impmon is just as important to me as Leomon is, and I want to go and find him. Besides, Ai and Mako's parents agreed to let them go as long I went with them to watch over them. This is my choice, Mom."

"But…"

"Shizue, this is Jeri's choice," Tadashi Katou said, looking down at his daughter. "And we should support her choice."

"Thank you, Dad," Jeri said, hugging both her parents before hugging her younger brother, who looked upset about Jeri and Calumon, who he liked to play with a lot, leaving him.

"Does Calumon really have to go with you?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, but we won't be gone long," Jeri said, ruffling her brother's hair. "You can wait for us, can't you Masahiko?"

"I guess so," Masahiko sighed as Ai and Mako came over with their parents.

"Thank you for agreeing to watch them for us Jeri," said the twins' mother. "They seem quite excited to see their friend Impmon again."

"Well, of course they are," Jeri said, taking the twins' hands and pulling them towards her. "Our Digimon partners are important and very dear to all of us."

"I hope we find Impmon soon," said Ai.

"Yeah, do you think he's looking for us?" asked Mako.

"I'm sure he is," said Jeri, smiling sweetly at the twins. A loud alarm blaring from the roof caused everybody to jump in shock.

"What was that?!" yelled Calumon, hiding in Takato's bag.

"The detectors," Yamaki said calmly, looking over to Riley and Talley. "Are there Digimon realizing?"

"Yes…and they're realizing right on top of us!" gasped Riley.

"There are four signals," said Talley, "and the power levels are off the charts!"

"That can only mean the Sovereigns have arrived," said Gouru "Shibumi" Mizuno, one of the Monster Makers.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kiseki)

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed as a Digital Field emerged in the sky. Moments later, four massive shapes appeared in the clouds. The field dispersed, revealing the four Digimon Sovereigns: the azure dragon Azulongmon, the crimson phoenix Zhuqiaomon, the green and beige two-headed turtle Ebonwumon, and the silver and blue tiger Baihumon.

"Hmm…so this is the human world," Zhuqiaomon said, getting his first look of the city of Shinjuku. "How can the humans live in such a cramped place?"

"Just as I thought," sighed Baihumon. "Our first minute here in the human world, and Zhuqiaomon criticizes it."

"Did you expect anything else from feather-brain?" asked Ebwonwumon through his left head.

"Tamers," Azulongmon boomed, looking down at the humans, "it is good to see you all again. I take it you are ready to travel?"

"We are Azulongmon," said Ryo.

"Um…a question," said Takato. "How exactly are you all going to open a portal to another dimension?"

"It is a very complicated process," Baihumon answered for Azulongmon. "To travel to the world of the Digidestined, we will need more than just the power of the Sovereigns. We will also need the power that comes from you."

"What does he mean?" asked Kenta.

"I think he's talking about your D-Arcs," Shibumi said, typing on a computer and bringing up the schematics for a D-Arc. "If the Digivices in the TV show are capable of opening up a gate to the Digital World, then that means your D-Arcs could do the very same as well."

"Wait, so you're saying we could just hold our D-Arcs up to a computer screen, say 'Digital Gate, Open', and boom, we'd be in the Digital World?" asked Kazu.

"Yes, but it would be too risky in this dimension," said Shibumi. "You could end up in a place where you would be unable to return from. The portal in Guilmon's old shed would be a better and safer option for travel to the Digital World and back."

"So how are our D-Arcs going to open a dimensional portal?" asked Rika.

"By combining the power of your D-Arcs together with our power, a dimensional portal shall be opened," Ebonwumon said through his right head.

"We just need one more thing to make this work," Azulongmon lifted his head up, motioning for everybody to look up. Coming down from the skies were small white creatures glowing white and chirping and trilling in cute noises.

"The DigiGnomes!" gasped Takato, recognizing the wish-granters from the Digital World.

"Of course," said Shibumi. "If all of you concentrate your power together and wish for the portal to take you to the Digidestined, then they'll be able to grant it!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Ryo. "Everybody, hold up your D-Arcs!" The Tamers nodded and nine D-Arcs were held up to the sky, Ai and Mako holding their D-Arc together. The screens glowed brightly as the Tamers all closed their eyes with their Digimon, wishing to go to the Digidestined's dimension. As this happened, the Sovereigns glowed brightly as well, focusing their power as well.

(Play Kaze ~re-fly version~)

"DigiGnomes, grant us our wish!" Azulongmon boomed mightily. The DigiGnomes circled around the top of the Hypnos building, glowing brightly like the sun. In a matter of moments, streams of light flew from the D-Arcs and the Sovereigns, colliding together and swirling around until a giant circle appeared, glowing bright white.

"Amazing," breathed Renamon. "So this is the portal."

"It is indeed," said Azulongmon. "Now go, Tamers."

"We're already going, Azulongmon," said Takato, beginning to walk to the portal.

"One more thing," Yamaki said, getting the Tamers' attention. Pulling a black device out of his pocket, Yamaki tossed it to Takato. The goggled Tamer recognized the device from two years ago.

"Hey…is this the communication device you gave me two years ago?"

"It is," said Yamaki, taking his sunglasses off. "I had Shibumi and the other Monster Makers make some modifications to it. We'll be able to stay in touch now even if you're in another dimension."

"All right!" Taktato said happily, putting the device in his backpack. Ryo looked up at the portal with anticipation. After three years, he was finally returning home to see his old friends and finish what he started in the Digital World. And he would be bringing his new friends along for the ride. A number of emotions ran through him as he looked over to the other Tamers: Anticipation, nervousness, happiness and sadness as well.

"Well guys," Ryo said with a smile, "anybody want to back out now?"

"What, and miss the chance to have a new adventure?" Takato asked with a smile.

"Fight new battles?" Rika smirked.

"Make new discoveries?" asked Henry.

"And meet new friends and play new games?" Calumon asked excitedly.

"No way!" said Kazu and Kenta together.

"We're Digimon Tamers," said Jeri. "We all stay together!"

"Exactly!" said Ai and Mako.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Ryo, his smile bigger than before. "Let's go!"

"All right!" Takato said, raising his fist into the air. "DIGIMON TAMERS!"

"YEAH!" everyone cheered, raising their fist into the air.

"Good luck, all of you," Yamaki said, watching the Tamers step into the light and fly up into the portal, which closed once the last Tamer was through.

The Digimon Tamers have set off on a new adventure to a new world, where they will meet new friends and new enemies, and rediscover old friends and old enemies. They do not know what is in store for them, but one thing is for certain: Nothing will ever be the same again for the Digimon Tamers…or the Digidestined…

(Play Days ~Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 8

 **The Tamers are finally going to the world of the Digidestined, but they won't be meeting up just yet. Just wait and see what happens in the next few chapters.**


	9. Chapter 9: Golden Week Picnic

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Thanks to OPIv2, piccolaamica, piccolaLilly17, and MiraclesxFaith for reviewing.**

 **Enjoy the newest chapter. In this chapter, the Tamers enter Ryo's old home dimension, but it doesn't go well for them. And we get a small look into Yolei's character and some screen-time for Mimi, so enjoy if you're a Yolei fan, a Mimi fan, or both.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

In a snowy area of the Digital World, the Digimon Emperor had built a prison and had Gomamon beaten to near death. Fortunately, Davis and his team arrived with Joe and Izzy, and they managed to destroy the Control Spire and the prison. Meanwhile, the Digimon Tamers have left their dimension with help from the Digimon Sovereigns and the DigiGnomes, ready for whatever the Digidestined's dimension has in store for them…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Golden Week Picnic

(Play Digimon Tamers no Theme)

"Wow!" Ai breathed in astonishment. "Is this what the inside of a portal looks like?" The Tamers and their Digimon partners were walking through the portal that they had created with the Sovereigns and the DigiGnomes, the portal that would take them to the dimension of the Digidestined, and Ryo's old home.

Takato and Ryo were in the lead of the group with Rika, Kazu and Kenta behind them. Jeri and Henry took up the rear to look over Suzie, Ai and Mako. The Digimon were by the sides of their partners as always, and Calumon rested on Jeri's head. The portal they were walking through glowed black and green, with flashing white letters and numbers floating by.

"Yeah, this was very much like the same portal that took us to the Digital World in our dimension," Henry said, a pair of green sunglasses resting over his eyes. Up in front, Rika had pulled out a pair of violet sunglasses and Takato had pulled his goggles down over his eyes, with Ryo wearing his own dark glasses. Being in a Digital Field could greatly damage a human's eyes if they weren't careful enough. Takato, Henry, Rika and Ryo, the most experienced when it came to the Digital Fields, knew this well and always wore eye protection. Kazu, Kenta, Jeri and Suzie also wore dark glasses, but Ai and Mako had to squint their eyes shut so they could see, as this was the first time they ever entered a Digital Field.

"Man, it's so bright…I can't see anything…" Mako said, walking forward before falling back down, having accidentally bumped into Rika's legs.

"Come on, up you get," Rika said with a soft smile, lifting the young boy in her arms while Jeri picked up Ai and carried her.

"All right, this data field should take us to the Digidestined's dimension," said Ryo in a hopeful tone. The Tamers continued onwards until they suddenly felt funny, like their body parts were being arranged, and the next thing anyone knew, the entire group was floating in midair.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)

"Woah, what's going on now?" asked Betamon.

"This happened the first time we entered the Digital World," Henry said, floating past Kenta while holding on to Terriermon and Suzie. "As we're entering a different Digital World, we're being processed as new information. What we're in must be a data surge." The Tamers and their Digimon continued floating for several moments until Kazu, floating upside down with Kokuwamon, craned his neck downwards, or upwards considering his situation, and gasped when he saw something.

"Hey! Look down there!" The Tamers followed Kazu's gaze and saw what Kazu was looking at.

A massive hole lay down in the distance of the data field. And lying in the hole was an island in the middle of a vast ocean. At this view, the Tamers could see the green on the island that was the trees and forests, the light brown that was the desert, and the bluish-white that was cold, icy places. And in the middle of the island was a mountain reaching high into the sky, bigger than any of the mountains on Earth, even Mount Everest.

"No way…" Kenta gasped. "That…that mountain…it's…!"

"It's Infinity Mountain," Ryo breathed, a nostalgic look appearing on his face.

"So that means…that's File Island down there!" gasped Takato, recognizing the mass of land now.

"And if that's File Island, then that means we've finally done it!" Henry said in realization. "We've entered another dimension!"

"YA-HOO!" Kazu cheered. "Digidestined, here we come!"

"Wait a minute!" said Takato. "How are going to get to File Island from here?" The Tamers paused and thought for a moment as they suddenly remembered they were still floating in a data space.

"Well…" Kazu said slowly. "We could do what Jeri did to get us in the Digital World in our dimension."

"Huh? What's Kazu talking about?" Ai asked, looking up at Jeri, who struggled to remember before it came to her.

"Oh! I remember now. When we first went to the Digital World, we were floating in a data space that looked just like this one, and we were wondering what way was up and what way was down. I was upside down with Rika, and I pointed down, or up, considering what position I was in, and I said, 'maybe that way is down…'"

"…and we fell to the Digital World," finished Kenta.

"And we lost all the bread when we did that," Guilmon moaned, floating by Takato's side.

"Don't worry Guilmon, I came extra prepared," said Takato. "We won't lose the bread this time!"

"Yay!" cheered Guilmon.

"So, that way is down, then?" Mako asked, pointing down at the hole showing File Island. The area suddenly shook and the Tamers stopped floating and began falling towards the island.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Everyone, hold on to someone!" Ryo yelled, grabbing Monodramon and pulling him close.

"This is not how I was hoping to enter a new dimension!" Kazu screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Did you expect anything else?!" yelled Rika. "This is how we ended up in the Digital World back home! We can't get what we always want!"

"Moumanatai, all of you!" Terriermon called out to everybody. A sudden shake hit the Tamers, and they no longer found themselves falling in a data field, but now they were plummeting towards File Island at breakneck speed.

"Now what do we do?!" yelled Kenta. "I don't think we can use any Digimon cards while we're falling!"

"Hopefully the laws of nature in this Digital World are the same as the laws of nature in our world!" yelled Henry. "Everyone! Think about something else except falling to your deaths! If you think that something won't happen, then it won't happen!"

"Well, it's worth a shot!" Takato said, watching the ground approach fast. Takato began thinking less about falling and dying and more about his friends, his family waiting for him back home, his partner Digimon Guilmon, finally meeting the Digidestined, and having new adventures in a new dimension.

Those thoughts made a smile break across Takato's face as he finally slammed into the ground and everything went black.

* * *

Yolei walked home at a snail's pace, slowly putting one foot in front of the other and being careful not to move the sleeping Poromon in her arms too much. It had been two hours since she had returned from the Digital World, and the memories were still vivid in her mind. If she closed her eyes and blocked out all the other noises around her, she could see the Frigimon attempt to bury her and her friends alive in an avalanche, she could see Cody nearly freeze to death in freezing water, and she could also hear the scream that left the young boy as well. She could still see Gesomon's massive form advance on her and attempt to kill her with his black ink.

And worse, she could still see Halsemon get hurt badly taking the attack for her and be swatted about, eventually De-Digivolving to Hawkmon, who still bore the injuries he received as Halsemon. And the loud scream he let out as he was burned by Gesomon's ink still filled her ears, and it rattled her to her very core. After leaving the school, Yolei had time to ponder on what had happened to her, not just today, but ever since she became a Digidestined earlier this month.

She was expecting it to be an exciting adventure, seeing new places and meeting new faces. She remembered the day she became a Digidestined. She had asked if the Digital World was a video game or a theme park. Despite Davis and Izzy's many warnings that Digital World was no video game and it was not to be taken lightly, she ignored them completely, excited that she could finally do something her siblings could never do.

Then her first day in the Digital World came and it was not what she expected at all. She did receive her Digimon partner and the Digimental of Love, yes, but that same day, Kari had been kidnapped by a giant mole and the lavender-haired girl was nearly killed by a giant praying mantis and a yeti before she even got her partner and Digimental. She was absolutely terrified, and she realized that Davis and Izzy were right. The Digital World was not a game. It was much more dangerous than the Human World.

Yolei did not want to fight at all, but she did because of Sora's words of encouragement to protect those she loved and cared about. But as much as Yolei showed excitement to go to the Digital World every time, she always didn't feel right, as she always wondered if something would go wrong for them. More than once, things did go wrong for her and her friends. Her second time in the Digital World, she and Cody were the only ones that could fight a herd of Tyrannomon, and if it wasn't for Davis, TK and Kari, they would have been cooked alive.

Then her mind flashed back to the village of Santa Geria. The plan seemed simple enough: Yolei would pretend to be captured with Cody, Kari and TK, allowing Davis and Matt to destroy the Control Spire while they freed the prisoners. And while the Spire was destroyed, it was after they were captured for real and RedVegiemon nearly killed Veemon.

And then today happened. She couldn't think about it now without feeling her eyes watering up. Yolei looked down at Poromon, and her bad feeling became worse when she noticed the little Digimon hadn't woken up yet. She couldn't understand it. Why had Poromon tried to protect her even if it nearly killed him? Would this happen again? If it would, then perhaps Yolei was not so sure now about fighting.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"Yolei!" The lavender-haired girl's head shot up and she turned around to see Cody running up to her, Upamon in his arms. "Yolei, is everything all right? You left in a hurry from the computer room."

"I…" Yolei wanted to say she was fine, but that would be a lie. "I'm not okay Cody. I was nearly killed by a giant squid today, Poromon was hurt badly and he still won't wake up! Why won't he wake up?!" Cody looked down at Poromon's barely stirring form and could only watch in sadness.

"Well, it's obvious his wounds were very serious," said the young boy, "but that doesn't mean he's dead. He'll wake up soon. Anyway, Yolei, I wanted to talk to you about something. We talked about it shortly after you left. We'll be going back to the Digital World tomorrow…"

"No!" Yolei said, backing away from her friend. "No, I can't go back there! I don't want to fight again! I…I can't risk Poromon being hurt again! He could die…" Yolei slumped against the wall and slid down, burying her face in Poromon's feathers as she sobbed quietly. Cody sat down next to Yolei and placed a hand on her shoulder, frowning sadly.

"Yolei, I don't really enjoy this violence myself, but we're the only ones that can do something about this." Yolei said nothing as she continued looking down at Poromon's pink feathers. Cody sighed, realizing at this point, Yolei wouldn't listen to him.

"But…if you don't want to fight, then I understand. In fact, the reason we're going to the Digital World tomorrow is because Golden Week starts tomorrow, and we figured all of us Digidestined could go to an area we already freed in the Digital World and have a picnic." Golden Week was a cluster of national holidays in Japan that were celebrated from the end of April to the beginning of May. As part of the holiday celebration, many workers in Japan were given time off from work, and all of the schools would be closed.

"A…a picnic?" asked Yolei, looking up at Cody.

"Yes, and it will be in an area we already freed," Cody said again. "There won't be any fighting to worry about, I promise. And I'm sure Poromon will be okay enough for you to take him along."

"Well…it would be nice to take things easier in the Digital World for once…" Yolei said, sniffling as she wiped her tears away. "Okay, just as long as I don't have to fight, I'll come along tomorrow, and I'll bring some stuff from my parents' convenience store."

"And I'll bring some of my mother's ohagi!" Cody said, happy to see Yolei smiling again. As the two Digidestined walked off, a teenage girl stepped out from the alley where she stood, overhearing everything Cody and Yolei said. As she watched them depart, a look of sympathy could be seen on her face for Yolei.

* * *

The next morning, DemiVeemon stirred in his sleep as he felt the urge to wake up. As he stirred, the baby dragon couldn't help but smell something funny near him as he woke. Wondering if he had sleepwalked again and fell asleep in the kitchen pantry eating food, DemiVeemon opened his eyes a crack and saw a human foot in his face.

"Yipe!" DemiVeemon yelled in surprise as he moved away from the foot. Looking at his surroundings, the little blue Digimon noticed that he was still in Davis's room and he was sleeping in his partner's bed. Moving over to get a look at Davis, DemiVeemon saw his human friend had fallen asleep on the floor, his right leg the only part of his body on the bed. DemiVeemon couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered waking up several times in the Digital World to see Davis sleeping with all his limbs outstretched and on Ken, Ryo, Monodramon and Wormmon.

"Davis! Wake up! Wake up!" DemiVeemon squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down on Davis's stomach to wake up his partner. "We don't want to miss our picnic today, don't we?" Davis grunted, feeling something land on his stomach over and over again. Waking up slowly, Davis looked up and saw DemiVeemon on his stomach, smiling sweetly at him.

"Good morning, Davis!" the Digimon said in a singsong voice.

"Yeah…good morning, DemiVeemon…" Davis groaned, sitting up as he felt his stomach hurt a little. "Geez…I thought you got out of bouncing on my stomach to wake me up…"

"I didn't have any other option," said DemiVeemon. "You wanted I got Jun to blare an airhorn in your ears?"

"No!" Davis said indignantly, getting up to change and get food for the picnic today, grumbling a little as he did so. He was really not a morning person.

* * *

(Play Ode to Joy)

"Upamon, where did you go off to now?" Cody asked, annoyed at not seeing his partner in his room when he woke up. After returning home last night, Cody had given Upamon a stern lecture about going around the apartment without the boy, as well as having proper bathroom manners. Apparently, the little Digimon did not listen well. Changing into his clothes, Cody slowly walked out the room and looked for any sign of his partner while being aware of his mother in the kitchen. It didn't take Cody long as he found Upamon on the table with a basket over him as a disguise.

"Upamon, get over here!" Cody whispered sharply. Upamon turned around and jumped off the table and went over to Cody. The inheritor of Knowledge looked up to see his mother's back was still turned, so she did not see the little Digimon. Cody sighed and walked back into the room, looking down at Upamon sternly.

"Upamon, what did we talk about last night?"

"But I smelled something funny and I wanted to look at it!" said Upamon. "And I didn't want to disturb you in your sleep!"

"I wouldn't have minded being woken up," Cody said with a sigh. "What did you smell anyway?"

"Some weird stuff your mom's making," said Upamon. "Is it food?"

"Yes, it's kanpyomaki."

"Kan…what?"

"Kanpyomaki," repeated Cody. "It's a type of sushi."

"And sushi is…?" Upamon asked with a curious look.

"Sushi is raw fish and rice wrapped up in seaweed," explained Cody, who received a look of disgust from Upamon.

"Yuck! That tastes disgusting!"

"Actually, it's very good, especially if you season it with a little salt and soy sauce," said Cody. "Yolei asked for it, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" said Upamon, remembering the talk Cody and Yolei had last night about what food they were bringing. Upamon's face then went down as he remembered Poromon, who hadn't stirred at all since last night. "Hey…Cody…do you think Yolei will come? And do you think Poromon will be okay?"

"I…" Cody hesitated, wondering if Yolei would come. While she looked happy about a picnic, her posture and tone meant the memories of yesterday were still fresh in her mind, as well as her resolve to never fight again.

"I'm sure she will, Upamon," the young boy said with a small smile, "and I'm sure Poromon will be awake by now."

* * *

Over in her apartment, Kari hummed to herself as she packed her backpack with food and drink for the picnic, Gatomon watching on curiously.

"Come on Gatomon, in you go!" Kari said happily, picking up her partner and stuffing her in the backpack as well, much to the white cat's protests.

"No fair! How come Agumon gets to walk with Tai and I don't?"

"He's not," said Tai, walking into Kari's room with a bag slung over each shoulder. "I put him in a bag as well, and I had to put the food in a separate bag so he wouldn't eat it all!"

"I was just going to have something light!" Agumon protested in the bag.

"Agumon, when it comes to you, something light to eat is everything in the refrigerator and the pantry," Gatomon replied in a deadpan tone.

* * *

"I'm leaving!" TK called to his mom as he left the apartment, a bag of food in his hands.

"TK!" Nancy called out to her son, who almost closed the apartment door. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"No, I have all the food…"

"Not some _thing_ , some _one_!" Nancy said, holding up a green backpack with Patamon sticking out of it, the winged Digimon glaring at TK.

"Oops…oh, right…sorry Patamon…" TK said with a sheepish chuckle.

"Honestly, TK…" Patamon huffed, the backpack now slung over TK's shoulders.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Be All Right)

"Okay…three with tuna-mayo, two with bonito, a few orange drinks…a couple of jam buns as well…" Yolei muttered as she went through her family's convenience store, picking out what onigiri, desserts, and beverages she would bring to the picnic. The inheritor of Love's spirits were slightly higher than they were yesterday. Poromon had woken up this morning and Yolei was absolutely ecstatic of her partner awake again. The second reason for her better mood was being able to go to the Digital World today without worrying about any fights or conflicts.

"So…where are you going again?" Yolei's mother asked from behind the register, where she was writing down what Yolei was taking. "And what exactly is the picnic about anyway?"

"Oh…some friends of mine and I are going out to celebrate Golden Week," said Yolei, telling what she could consider the truth, since it was Golden Week and people everywhere were celebrating.

"Well, I can see that reason…" said Mrs. Inoue, "but where are you going again?"

"Well…um…" Yolei hesitated, knowing she just couldn't tell her mother about the Digital World. "…we're still deciding. Some of us want to go to one place, and some of us want to go to another place, and a few us want to…"

"Okay, I think I get it," Mrs. Inoue said, scratching her head with her pen before muttering, "but this does sound suspicious, though…"

"No, it isn't!" said Yolei. "Look, I have to go now!"

"Yolei!" Mrs. Inoue called out to her daughter, who ran out the store.

"Yolei, take it easy!" came a muffled voice from the bag, where Yolei's food was in.

"Oh, Poromon!" Yolei gasped, realizing her partner Digimon was in her bag. The inheritor of Love panicked slightly as she opened her bag and fished out her partner, looking him over. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"Could you please be a bit more gentle?" whined Poromon. "I'm still a little sore…"

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Yolei said repeatedly, hugging her partner softly. "I didn't know…"

"Hey, Yolei!" The inheritor of Love looked up at the sound of her name being called and saw Cody and TK come over to her.

"So you're actually coming with us?" asked Upamon.

"Yeah…I figured…since we'll be going somewhere safe…" said Yolei, getting nods from the two Digidestined.

"Well, we better get going," said Cody. "The others are probably waiting for us."

"Yeah, let's go!" said Yolei, taking the lead towards the school.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

At the school gates, Tai, Sora, Joe, Izzy and Matt were talking amongst themselves while Kari and Davis stood off to the side. Davis sighed as he looked up at the blue sky and took in the sounds of the birds chirping, enjoying the quiet that was rare at the school.

"Thinking about something, Davis?" asked Kari.

"Yeah…I was just enjoying the quiet and the peace," said Davis. "It's going to be weird…this is the first time in a long time that I've had some quiet time in the Digital World."

"You never had quiet time in the Digital World?" asked Kari.

"Oh, I did with Ryo and our friend…" Davis said with a sigh. "The first few nights, we'd sit around a campfire and cook fish and gaze at the strange constellations in the night sky. But then all the crazy stuff with Millenniummon happened and we barely had a peaceful moment in the Digital World after that…so…this will be different after a lot of fighting."

"I know how that feels," Kari said as she leaned on Davis's shoulder, the burgundy-haired boy blushing faintly. "I remember my first time in the Digital World. I was thrust right into helping fight Apocalymon and the Dark Masters…and then I fell sick. The only real peaceful moment I had in the Digital World was before I left it and Gatomon."

"You fell sick in the Digital World?" Davis asked, surprised. "So did I!"

"You?!" Kari asked, staring at Davis bewildered before bursting into laughter. "You actually fell sick?! I thought you said you never got sick!"

"Well…first time for everything…" Davis muttered, looking off to the side and seeing Yolei, TK and Cody run to them.

"Hey, there you guys are!"

"Sorry if we're late," said TK. "Are we late?"

"No, we're still waiting for one more," said Matt, looking at the crowd of children and Digimon, some of them in disguise.

"And knowing Mimi," said Joe, "she should be arriving right…about…"

"HEY! DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT ME YET!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Sweet Innocent ~Mimi no Theme~)

"…Now," Izzy finished after hearing a girl's voice yell out down the street. The Digidestined looked up to see a teenage girl with a pink shirt and matching short skirt, dark green socks with matching shoes, and a bag slung over her shoulder.

"All right, I'm here!" Mimi said, slowing down and finishing her approach to the Digidestined in a walk.

"Good to see you were able to come…Mimi…" Izzy started before trailing off. The other Digidestined looked over to see what Izzy was staring in surprise at, and it didn't take long to see what it was. What they saw was Mimi's hair.

The girl's hair, which was originally light brown, was now light pink with green streaks in it. Mimi smiled as she took a lock of her colored hair and twirled it around her finger.

"What do you think? I just had it dyed last night. I figured since I can't where the clothes I want to wear at school, I could at least change my hair up a bit. There's nothing against that in the school rules, is there?"

"Well…no, there isn't…" Izzy stammered, his face slightly red. Tai, Joe and Matt noticed the look Izzy had and couldn't resist the urge to snicker a bit at their friend.

"It looks good on you Mimi," said Sora. "I do like you with brown hair though, but the pink and green seem to go well on you."

"Well, these are Palmon's colors," Mimi said before looking over to Yolei and Cody.

"Oh, you must be the new kids! I'm Mimi…Mimi Tachikawa," the girl walked over and shook both children's hands, a big smile on her face the entire time.

"Um…he…hello…" Cody said slowly, unsure of what to make of Mimi's personality. Yolei, meanwhile, had a look of wonder on her face.

"Wait…Mimi Tachikawa…as in the captain of the high school cheerleading team?"

"The very same!" Mimi flashed a toothy smile. "So let see if I got your names right. Cody, Upamon, Yolei and Poromon, right?" All four who were just named nodded.

"So…you're a Digidestined as well?" asked Yolei.

"I am," said Mimi. "I haven't been able to come with you because of my cheerleading practice and other business, so...I haven't been able to see my partner Palmon again yet…" Mimi looked down a bit, her face slightly sad before she became happy again. "…so when I heard about this picnic from Izzy, I figured it would be a great opportunity to go back and find Palmon again! That's why I dyed my hair and wore pink and green. Do you think we'll find her?"

"I'm sure we may run into her today," said Izzy.

"Well, if that's everybody, then let's go picnic!" said Davis, walking over to the school gates and slowly opening them. One by one, the Digidestined snuck into the courtyard, and into the school, where the computer lab was.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"Geez, this is ridiculous!" Yolei said in a whisper. "I don't see why I have to sneak into the computer room when I'm already in the computer club!"

"We don't have much of a choice," whispered Cody. "The use of school facilities is prohibited during Golden Week, but as much as I don't want to say it, we have to sneak in if we want to go to the Digital World."

"How come?" whispered Mimi, who still didn't know much about the D-3s or the Digital Gate.

"Because the computer lab is the only place where we can open a Digital Gate," said TK.

"That may not be entirely true," Izzy said. "I've been doing more research on the gate and the D-3s, but I don't want to say anything yet until my scans and analyzing are complete."

"All right, here we are!" Tai said, looking up at the sign for the computer room. Minutes later, Izzy had pulled up a Digital Gate set for where the Digidestined would have their picnic.

"So…um, Izzy…" Yolei said, looking over Izzy's shoulder, "are you sure the area we're going to is safe? I mean, no Control Spires, no evil Digimon…no fighting?"

"Yes, I am sure," said Izzy, pulling up the grid map to show a mass of white squares on one part of the map. "All these areas are free from the Digimon Emperor's influence, so we'll be able to picnic in peace."

"And maybe see if Palmon is there as well," Mimi said in a hopeful tone.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"Well then…" TK said, holding up his D-3. "Digital Gate, Open!" A flash of light later, and the Digidestined were back in the Digital World.

* * *

"See?" Davis said, gesturing to the open space. "Not a single Control Spire in sight!"

"Oh…thank God…" Yolei sighed in relief, Hawkmon by her side as always, barely showing any signs of injury from his battle yesterday with Gesomon.

"Wow…" Mimi breathed in astonishment. "The Digital World…it's still the same as I remember it!" The pink-haired girl looked at the trees before looking down at the flowers. Her eyes then lay on a patch of pink flowers with yellow stems that made Mimi remind her of her Digimon partner. She could imagine one of the flowers coming out of the ground to reveal a hiding Palmon, and Palmon then running into her arms, happy to see her again after four years.

'I hope she's around here…' Mimi thought as she walked with the Digidestined.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)

"So Mimi…do you know what's been happening here?" asked Cody.

"I do," Mimi said with a slight pout. "That Digimon Emperor…thinking he can own the Digital World…if I ever see him in person, I'd slap him right in the face. And that's just being nice."

"What's the worst you could do?" asked Veemon.

"Maybe insult whatever he's wearing," Mimi said with a thoughtful expression. "If he's some kind of Emperor, then he must have some ridiculous Digimon Emperor outfit for him to walk around in!"

"Oh, you have no idea," said Tai, chuckling as he remembered seeing the Emperor's clothes. "That guy seems to have no fashion sense whatsoever."

"Most boys usually don't," Mimi said, getting all of the human boys to yell an indignant "Hey!" Yolei couldn't help but laugh and feel better now. She had only heard of Mimi Tachikawa from the girls on the cheerleading team. They described her as a bubbly and fun girl to be around with bright smiles for everybody. Being near her and talking with her, Yolei couldn't help but enjoy Mimi's company. She could tell that she may have found a new friend in Mimi Tachikawa.

* * *

"All right, this looks like a good spot for lunch," said Davis, stopping underneath a giant tree that provided more than enough shade.

"About time," said Agumon. "I'm starving!"

"So am I!" said Veemon.

"That figures," Tai and Davis said, both knowing their partners' massive appetites. Cody and Joe unrolled the blankets they brought with them and the group of eleven children and ten Digimon sat down, digging into their food.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

"I got some onigiri from my family's convenience store," said Yolei, pulling the food out of her bag and showing them to the other Digidestined. "Who wants one?"

"Is that a tuna-mayo onigiri?" Mimi asked suddenly, looking at the package in Yolei's hand.

"Yeah, do you want one?" Yolei offered the food, which suddenly disappeared from her hand in a flash. A second later and Mimi was already halfway through the food.

"Oh, thank you Yolei! I haven't had one in a long time!" Mimi said between mouthfuls. "It's just as good as I imagined it!"

"Yeah, that's right," said Sora. "You just moved back from America, right?"

"Last month, and just in time for school," said Mimi, wiping the onigiri crumbs from her mouth. "I've been busy with unpacking and getting to know everybody again, I guess I haven't had much time to get back into eating Japanese food."

"You lived in America, Mimi?" Yolei asked with interest.

"For a while after the Diaboromon incident," answered Mimi, who began drinking a can of soda. "But I didn't like it there much, since I couldn't see much of my friends. Recently my dad's work got him transferred back here, and I was extremely happy to come back so I could see you all again…but I was upset since I would have to wear a green uniform for school."

"You don't like it?" asked Kari.

"No, I like green, because it reminds me of Palmon, but not all green all over," said Mimi. "There has to be a better option for outfits."

"Well, my sister Jun was able to get an optional outfit for school, but it makes her look like she's going to military school," said Davis. "I'm not sure if it's your thing…"

"Sorry, I don't do military," said Mimi. "That's why I'm thinking of fashion designing in my future. I want to bring some more color and fashion to Japan. Being in America has definitely opened my eyes more to clothing."

"That sounds…very interesting," said Izzy.

"I'm sure the school wouldn't mind a little pink," Tentomon muttered, getting chuckles from everybody. As the Digidestined continued eating, Hawkmon looked over to Cody and Armadillomon and he saw the two eating some strange black stuff from a wooden box.

"Pardon me Cody, but what are those that you and Armadillomon are eating?" asked the bird Digimon.

"It's kanpyomaki," said Cody, who looked up at Yolei. "You said you wanted kanpyomaki?"

"Oh, I did!" Yolei gasped in remembrance. "Can I have one?"

"I would like a kanpyomaki as well, please," Hawkmon added.

"Sure, here you go!" Armadillomon grabbed two pieces of kanpyomaki and tossed them to the girl and Digimon.

"No! Don't throw food!" Cody yelled, but the food was already flying through the air. Yolei caught hers, but Hawkmon's flew past his head and began rolling down the hill.

"My kanpyomaki!" Hawkmon yelled, chasing after the rolling sushi.

"Hawkmon, get back here!" Yolei called, slipping into her shoes and chasing after her partner. "You shouldn't exert yourself like that, you're still hurt! Besides, that kanpyomaki will be dirty by the time you catch it! And there's more than one as well, you know!"

"It looks like Hawkmon still needs to learn a few things about food," Gabumon commented, chewing on a sugar wafer.

"He's not the only one," Cody said with a stern gaze to his partner Digimon. "Armadillomon, you should never throw food, especially food that my mother made!"

"Sorry Cody…" Armadillmon said with a downcast look. Mimi looked up from her food and watched Yolei and Hawkmon's forms vanish into the woods. She didn't know why, but she felt a bad feeling building up in her stomach.

"Guys, I'm going to go after Yolei and Hawkmon," the child of Sincerity said, standing up and putting on her shoes. "I know this place is safe, but…we never know."

"All right then, be careful Mimi," said Izzy. Mimi nodded and winked at the computer genius, who blushed slightly at the gesture.

* * *

"YOLEI! HAWKMON! WHERE ARE YOU TWO?" Mimi yelled through her hands as she walked through the forest. Five minutes had passed since she began her search and there was no sign of either Yolei or Hawkmon yet. Mimi's worried feelings began growing more as she continued walking.

"YOL…" Mimi began to call out again, when she suddenly felt the ground underneath her cave in. Mimi screamed as she fell, seeing a dark forest approaching fast. Mimi closed her eyes as she thought about seeing Palmon's face one last time…and everything became dark with a crash.

* * *

"…kato…Takato…Takato, wake up!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"Huh? M…Mom?" Takato asked weakly, stirring as he felt consciousness return to his body. Moaning slightly, the brown-haired boy sat up slowly as he began to feel his body again. To his relief, he did not break any bones upon hitting the ground. This meant that Henry was right: If you thought of something in this Digital World, then that meant it would happen.

"Aw man…my head…" Takato moaned, standing up and taking two steps before nearly falling face-first to the ground. Fortunately, the goggled boy was caught by someone.

"Take it easy Takato…you may need to sit down for a few moments…and please do not mistake me for your mother again," said the female voice. Looking up, Takato noticed the individual who helped him was the yellow kitsune Digimon, Renamon.

"What…Renamon?" Takato looked around the place they were in, seeing many trees and plants of different sizes and colors. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"I do not know," said Renamon. "I did see everyone land when we fell, before I blacked out…but I believe we were all separated."

"What?" Takato asked, suddenly feeling wide awake. Shooting up to his feet, Takato looked around again, this time for any sign of his Digimon partner, Jeri, Rika, or any of the other Tamers and Digimon. "Aw man…our first day in a new dimension and we're already separated…"

"Takato, don't worry," Renamon assured the boy. "I'm sure Guilmon is all right…just how I'm sure Rika is okay."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right," Takato replied, breathing deeply to regain himself and his posture. "All right…all right, what would the leader do? Okay…the leader would suggest searching for everyone first…so, we need to find the others. Renamon, don't you and Rika have some sort of…telepathic bond?"

"We do," said Renamon, looking off into the distance. "But I cannot sense Rika's mind…she must still be unconscious…before we search for anyone, I believe the first thing we should to is get an idea of our surroundings. You've seen the TV show before Takato…do you recall seeing any part of this forest in the show?"

"This forest…" Takato looked again around the forest, this time looking at it very good. It took him several minutes, but it finally came to him.

"No way…this forest is where it all began for the Digidestined in Season 1!" the brown-haired boy declared excitedly. "This is the Tropical Jungle! The Digidestined met their partners for the first time here and fought Kuwagamon!"

"In that case, I believe it seems appropriate for us to be here," said Renamon. "Our first order of business should be to…wait…" Renamon's eyes narrowed for a split second before widening again.

"What is it?" asked Takato.

"It's Rika," said Renamon, a hand to her head. "She's woken up…and Guilmon's with her."

"Oh…good," Takato sighed in relief.

"And they're not alone," Renamon said. "I can hear Rika's thoughts…and she's extremely annoyed."

"Ah, geez," Takato sighed. "There's only one guy I know that can rile up Rika like crazy…"

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Guilmon no Theme)

"Seriously Kazu, why is it whenever we're separated, I always have to end up with you?!"

"Well, pardon me!" Kazu said indignantly to Rika. "It's not like I can control who I end up with!"

"And you obviously can't control how you land either," sighed Rika. While Rika had landed on the ground, Kazu and Kokuwamon had went through a tall tree with vines, and were both dangling above the ground, tangled up in vines.

"I hate to interrupt your conversation," said Kokuwamon, "but perhaps you could free us, Miss Rika?"

"All right, hold still," Rika moved around and began pulling at the vines. In a matter of moments, Kazu and Kokuwamon were both free and were brushing off leaves from their bodies.

"So, is it just us on this part of the island?"

"No, Guilmon's over there," Rika gestured to behind her. There, kneeling between two bushes was Guilmon, rummaging through several bags with a happy look on his face.

"Yay, we didn't lose any of the bread!" Guilmon cheered before his happy expression became one of sadness. "But…we lost Takato."

"Don't worry Guilmon, Takato's okay," Rika assured the red dinosaur. "He's with Renamon in the Tropical Jungle. I have a telepathic bond with Renamon."

"So where are we?" Guilmon asked, looking around at the trees. "This doesn't look like a jungle…and I think I smell saltwater."

"Saltwater?" asked Kazu. A loud blaring noise that sounded like a horn suddenly sounded in the forest.

"What was that?!" yelped Kazu. Rika strained her ears, eventually hearing the horn noise again.

"This way!" Rika ran down a path with Kazu and Kokuwamon on her heels, and Guilmon taking up the rear.

"Wait! I still haven't gathered up all the bread!" The group of four ran down the forest, and stopped when they saw a lake in front of them. In the middle of the lake was a small mass of land, a stone bridge connecting the land mass to the forest, and on the base of the mass was a trolley car.

"Dude!" Kazu said, unable to contain his excitement. "This is Dragon's Eye Lake! This is where Garurumon fought Seadramon in Season 1!"

"So that's what this lake is called?" asked Rika. The horn blared again, and everyone looked up to see two small figures in the trolley car, pressing the horn on the steering wheel.

"That's Suzie and Terriermon!" Guilmon gasped, running towards the trolley with Rika, Kazu and Kokuwamon. Suzie and Terriermon continued blaring the horn until the other Tamers and Digimon came up to them.

"Hey, we did it!" cheered Terriermon. "The others finally found us!"

"I knew we could do it!" said Suzie.

"Yeah, you did find us, but not all of us," said Kazu.

"Aw," Suzie and Terriermon said sadly, thinking about Lopmon and Henry.

"Hey, don't worry," Rika said, a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I'm sure Henry and Lopmon are okay."

"But how are we going to find them?" asked Kazu.

"I got this." Rika stood up and closed her eyes, focusing on talking to her partner.

" _Renamon…can you hear me?_ " the red-haired girl asked in her mind.

" _I can hear you, Rika. Where are you?_ "

" _We're at Dragon's Eye Lake…it was the lake with the trolley car in Season 1. Are you and Takato nearby?_ "

" _No. According to Takato, we're far from you._ "

" _Okay…so how is this going to work?"_

" _One minute,_ " Renamon said. All was quiet until Renamon spoke again.

" _Takato suggested we head to Primary Village._ "

" _Primary Village, huh?_ " Rika asked with a small grin. " _Okay then._ " Rika then ended her communication and turned back to the others.

"We're meeting up with Gogglehead and Renamon at Primary Village. Any chance you know where that is, Kazu?"

"Hmm…Primary Village…" Kazu muttered, thinking for a minute as he looked around the forest before looking down at the lake. His eyes followed the water trail that led off to the right. "I think Primary Village is that way. I believe that stream of water leading from the lake is where Elecmon gets the fish for his babies."

"Well…I can't believe I'm saying this…but Kazu, lead the way."

"Me?!" Kazu asked in surprise. "Well…all right then…everybody, follow me!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Guilmon whispered to Rika.

"No, but is there any other option?" asked Rika. "Kazu's fandom with the show may be useful."

"Let's hope so," said Terriermon. "Henry will skin me alive if I let something happen to Suzie…that is, if Lopmon doesn't do it first…"

"Moumantai, Terriermon!" Suzie laughed, placing the long-eared dog on her head.

"That is a very irritating thing to say to someone," Terriermon replied flatly. He really didn't like it when someone used his own phrase on him.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Li no Theme)

"Ah, I love the water!" Betamon said happily, swimming in the water of the beach he ended up on with Kenta, Henry and Lopmon.

"Yes, I have to admit…this beach is really nice and quiet," Lopmon observed from her place on Henry's shoulder. "It's nothing like our Digital World."

"You don't even know the half of it," said Henry, looking up to the sky. "I don't see a Real World Sphere at all, like in our world…and I see no data packets…no DigiGnomes…this is really bizarre."

"Well, of course it's bizarre," said Kenta, coming back from exploring the beach. "And this is no beach we're on…this is Coela Point!"

"Coela Point?" Betamon asked as he came out of the water. "What is that?"

"It's the beach seen in Season 1, Episode 2," explained Kenta. "Look over there!" The bespectacled boy pointed to something in the distance, and Henry and Lopmon looked over with Betamon to see a line of telephone booths on the sandy shore of the beach.

"Telephone booths…" Henry said, recognizing the place as well. "This is where Greymon fought Shellmon!"

"Yeah, and I think Primary Village is that way!" Kenta said, looking up a hill that led north.

"Primary Village?" Henry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Kenta looked over to the blue-haired Tamer. "Do you remember Season 1 when Devimon separated everybody, and TK, the youngest of the Digidestined, ended up at Primary Village?"

"Yes…" Henry said slowly, wondering what Kenta was going on about.

"Well…it's obvious from what we've seen, Suzie and the others are nowhere to be found…but it's possible, that since Suzie is the youngest, as are Ai and Mako, they may be in Primary Village which the others, since Primary Village is the safest place on File Island!"

"Kenta, I highly doubt everybody is at Primary Village," voiced Lopmon. "You're just guessing things based on what you saw on a TV show."

"That happened in real life," insisted Kenta. "It may be just a hunch, but wouldn't it make sense to look there?" Henry remained quiet, thinking over what Kenta said. It did seem possible that everybody was at Primary Village…and a part of him wanted to believe that Suzie was there, safe and sound, and not on another part of the island alone and in danger.

"I think…we should go with Kenta on this one," he finally said, getting surprised looks from Lopmon, Betamon, and even Kenta.

"Wait…really?"

"Yeah," said Henry, pulling out his D-Arc. "And even if they're not at Primary Village, I can use my D-Arc to look for Terriermon, and I'm sure Suzie can use hers to find you, Lopmon."

"Well…okay, then…" Lopmon jumped back up on Henry's shoulder and pointed forward with her ear. "To Primary Village it is, then."

* * *

(Play Digimon: Culu Culu Culumon)

"Yay! New friends to play with, so many new friends!" Calumon cheered. The little Catalyst was having the time of his life. When he woke up, Calumon was afraid at first when he noticed he was alone with none of his friends around, but his spirits went up greatly when he came upon a fantastic colorful place on the island, filled with giant building blocks, trees with toys hanging off the branches, and a ground that could have been the world's largest trampoline in the world. And all around the place were many eggs of different colors and designs, and countless baby Digimon – Botamon, Punimon, Nyokimon, Pabumon, Yuramon, Pichimon, Poyomon and YukimiBotamon – laughing and playing games. The moment Calumon stepped foot in the place, the baby Digimon were instantly all over him, laughing with him and playing with him, and bouncing on the green bouncy ground.

"Oh, I wish my friends were here to see this!" Calumon said with a laugh. "Terriermon would love it here!"

"Well, what goes on over here?" called out a voice. Calumon leaped up and landed on a building block, looking down to see a red Digimon with long ears, bigger than any of the Digimon here, approach the babies.

"You babies look like you're having a fun time here," the Digimon said to the laughing babies. The Digimon before them was Elecmon, the caretaker of Primary Village and the baby Digimon that lived here.

"Oh, we're having a fun time!" squealed a little Botamon.

"Especially with our new friend!" cheered a Punimon.

"New friend, you say?" Elecmon asked with an eyebrow raised, interest in his voice. "And just where is this new friend?"

"INCOMING!" Calumon yelled, jumping off the block and flying right towards Elecmon, colliding with the red Digimon and rolling along on the ground with him several times. Calumon then jumped off Elecmon and began dancing around.

"Oh, this is so much fun! Can we play a new game? Huh, huh, huh? Can we?"

"Well, aren't you a cute little Digimon?" Elecmon laughed, looking over the small white and purple Digimon. "I don't think I've ever seen your type around here. Who are you?"

"I'm Calumon, a one of a kind Digimon!" Calumon cheered happily.

"Calu…mon?" Elecmon asked, confused and interested.

'I've never heard of a Calumon before. He must be a new type of Digimon.'

"So…when did you hatch from your egg?"

"Oh, I didn't hatch from an egg!" said Calumon. "I fell out of the sky with my friends!"

"Your friends?" Elecmon looked up in the sky where Calumon was pointing. "What did your friends look like?"

"They were all humans with Digimon partners," said Calumon, causing Elecmon's eyes to widen.

"Humans?" Elecmon said before thinking to himself, 'It couldn't have been…TK and the other Digidestined? Have they finally returned to File Island? I heard they were on Server fighting the Digimon Emperor…but I never heard of them having a Calumon…nor did I know of a Calumon…'

"Hey, can you help me find my friends?" asked Calumon. "I so want to see them again!" Elecmon couldn't help but chuckle again at Calumon's innocence and big-eyed look.

"All right, I'll see what I can do. Can you play with the babies for me while I'm gone?"

"Of course! I love to play games!" Calumon said excitedly. Elecmon laughed before turning to the baby Digimon.

"Listen up, babies! I'm going out again. While I'm gone, I want you to be nice and play well with Calumon. He's our guest. And if any humans come to the village with Digimon while I'm gone, then they should be treated as well as Calumon. Am I understood?"

"YEAH!" the Baby Digimon all cheered before flocking over to Calumon and began playing with him again, while Elecmon ran out of the forest to look for the humans that Calumon was talking about.

* * *

"IMPMON!"

"IMPMON, WHERE ARE YOU? WE'RE FINALLY HERE!"

The minute they had woken up, Jeri, Ai and Mako began searching for their friends; or rather, Jeri was looking for the other Tamers, while the twins called loudly for their partner Digimon.

"IMPMON…" Ai called again before looking down. "Why isn't he answering?"

"He may not be here on the island at all," said Jeri. "One of you, check your D-Arc. I heard you can use it to find your partner."

"I think Ai has it," Mako looked over to his sister. Ai pulled the D-Arc out of her backpack and turned on a compass that would allow them to find Impmon. To their disappointment, there was no red arrow moving around on the screen to indicate Impmon's current location.

"It's not reacting…" Mako said sadly.

"What does that mean?" asked Ai. Jeri bit her lip, wondering what to say. It may be possible Impmon may not be on the island at all…or alive at all.

'No! Don't think like that!' Jeri scolded herself mentally, slapping herself across the face. Shaking her head, Jeri looked down at the D-Arc. The screen glowed a clear white, unlike her D-Arc, which still showed a screen of static, as it had for the last two years. Jeri sighed, knowing that it meant Impmon was still alive…but where?

"Hey…don't worry," Jeri said, bringing the twins into a hug. "We'll find him. He may be on another part of the Digital World."

"Can we look there?" Ai and Mako asked together innocently, getting a giggle from Jeri.

"Later. First, we need to find Takato and the others. And we should stick together and be careful…we don't know what's out here." Ai and Mako nodded, each taking a hand from Jeri and followed her down the path. However, they were unaware of a shadowed figure following them…

* * *

"Mimi, wake up…Mimi, wake up…Mimi! WAKE UP!"

"Huh…what…?" Mimi moaned as she opened her eyes slowly, regaining consciousness. The worried faces of Yolei and Hawkmon filled her vision as she awoke and sat up slowly.

"Ooh…Yolei? What happened? The last thing I remember, I was falling, and then…"

"You were out for a while," said Yolei, her face still etched with worry. "That hole you fell through is the same one I fell through with Hawkmon. My guess is where we landed may have been underneath us."

"Maybe…" Mimi muttered, looking around at where she fell. Many trees surrounded her, and it was dark out…which struck Mimi as odd, since time in the Digital World was synchronized with time in the Human World, which meant it still would have been daytime…unless Mimi was out cold longer than she thought.

"Um…how long was I out?"

"You were out for five minutes," said Yolei, her worried expression never leaving her face. "And we have a major problem." The lavender-haired girl pointed to something in the distance, and when Mimi looked over, what she was a tall black obelisk standing below a moon, and many lights shining on it.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"What…is that?"

"That's a Control Spire," said Hawkmon. "That's what the Digimon Emperor uses to mark an area he has claimed as his own, as well as power the Dark Rings he uses on enslaved Digimon, and prevent normal Digivolution."

"Can we knock it down?" asked Mimi.

"Yes," said Yolei, looking down to her D-Terminal. "I've been trying to send a message to the others, but I haven't had much luck. Something about this place is jamming my signal. It's weird, because it never happened before."

"Do not worry," Hawkmon assured the girls. "I can take care of this Control Spire. Yolei, the Digimental!"

"What?!" Yolei yelled in shock. "Are you crazy?! You're not fully recovered!"

"I'm feeling much better than I was yesterday," said Hawkmon. "Armor-Digivolve me!"

"But…but I can't," Yolei said, looking down at her D-3 in her pocket. "What if some Digimon are hiding in the forest waiting to attack us? I…I can't risk you being hurt again."

"Yolei…" Mimi started, but whatever she said was interrupted when low growling noises were heard from behind the trio. Turning around slowly, Yolei, Mimi and Hawkmon were greeted with the sight of multiple pairs of red eyes in the shadows.

"What…what is that?" Mimi asked, shivering slightly at the sight of the eyes.

"I don't know…but maybe we should start running," Yolei answered, just as scared as Mimi. Hawkmon stood in front of her partner, ready to defend her. The shadowed figures then stepped into what little light was being shone down by the moon above, and the figures were revealed to be small purple tadpoles, and green frogs walking on their hindlegs with golden horns wrapped around their necks. Upon seeing them, Mimi's fear evaporated and she smiled, laughing at the sight.

"Oh, don't be so scared! Those are Otamamon and Gekomon!"

"You know them?" asked Yolei.

"Yeah, they're my friends!" Mimi answered happily.

"Not anymore, I'm afraid," Hawkmon said gravelly, looking down to see black bands around all of the Gekomon and Otamamon's legs. "They have Dark Rings on them, which means they're all slaves to the Digimon Emperor!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Akumu)

"What?!" Mimi asked, her happiness turning into shock. The pink-haired girl looked down and saw the Rings on them. The Digimon continued growling as they began walking slowly towards the two Digidestined and bird Digimon.

"Gekomon! Otamamon! Please stop!" Mimi cried, pushing herself forward and placing herself between Yolei and Hawkmon, and the frog Digimon. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Princess Mimi!"

"Princess?" voiced Yolei and Hawkmon.

"It's a long story," Mimi whispered to the two before turning back to the frog Digimon. "You remember me, right?" The frog Digimon paused for a moment, looking at the pink-haired girl with curiosity before turning angry again, and continued advancing towards the girls.

"Okay, maybe that routine didn't go so well," Mimi said, quickly running behind Yolei. "Yolei…maybe you could use that Armor Digivolve thing now?" Yolei could only stand in shock and fear, watching as the Gekomon and Otamamon prepared to attack.

'I…I can't,' Yolei thought, shaking in terror. 'What if Hawkmon gets hurt again?'

"LULLABY BUBBLE!"

"SYMPHONY CRUSHER!"

The Otamamon spewed bubbles from their mouths, and the Gekomon released sound waves from their horns. Mimi and Yolei yelled in shock as the attacks nearly hit them. Hawkmon immediately used his Feather Slash to knock down a few Digimon, but they continued forward, their numbers large. And Yolei noticed it.

"RUN FOR IT!" Yolei scooped Hawkmon up in her arms and immediately broke into a run, Mimi right behind her. The Gekomon and Otamamon snarled and began running after the two Digidestined.

"Yolei, what are you doing?!" asked Hawkmon, surprised at his partner's behavior.

"I'm sorry Hawkmon, but there's too many of them for you to fight!" said Yolei. "And I can't risk you getting hurt again!"

"Yolei…" Mimi breathed. Her attention was all on the younger girl, she failed to notice a rock in her path until her shoe hit it and she tripped, falling flat on her face.

"Mimi!" Yolei yelled, turning around to see the older girl on the ground. "Mimi, get up! They're gaining on us!"

"Don't worry about me…" Mimi groaned, pulling up slightly. "Save yourself…"

"But…Mimi…" Yolei looked on in worry, looking up to see the Gekomon and Otamamon were getting closer to them. She then looked down to the fallen Mimi, and then to Hawkmon. She couldn't risk Mimi being captured just because she ran. She knew if she Armor Digivolved Hawkmon, he could buy her some time while she helped Mimi…but could she risk Halsemon getting hurt again?

"Yolei, what do we do?" asked Hawkmon. Yolei looked up, a hesitant look on her face. She was about to move, when…

"PUMMEL WHACK!" a loud voice rang out and a purple blast of energy flew over Yolei and Mimi, colliding with the ground in front of the Gekomon and Otamamon, kicking up an explosion of dust, rocks and little Digimon. Yolei and Hawkmon stared, perplexed at the scene before a dark shadow was cast over them. Yolei looked up to see a giant green figure jump over her head and land in front of Mimi. The figure's back was turned, but Yolei could see that the green figure was maybe eight feet tall with white hair and black horns on his head, black bands were wrapped around his arms and legs, and a black loincloth was wrapped around his waist. In his right hand was a bone with spikes on the end.

"Wha…what is that?!" Yolei yelled in shock. Mimi was in shock as well, but mostly because she recognized the form immediately.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Teki wo Yattsukero!)

"Ogremon?"

"Take this, you tone-deaf amphibians! PUMMEL WHACK!" yelled the green Digimon, thrusting his left arm forward and releasing another blast of purple energy. The energy sent more Gekomon and Otamamon back. A few of the attacking Digimon leapt up to attack, but the green Digimon swung his club around and swatted them out of the sky. The Gekomon and Otamamon eventually turned around and ran off. Once the Digimon were gone, the green Digimon turned around and Yolei yelled when she saw the Digimon's face. His eyes were blue, and his giant mouth was set in what looked like an evil smile.

"Sorry about dropping in like that, but those damn things are everywhere," said the Digimon. "It's best not to wander the Night Forest like that."

"Ogremon…is that you?" Mimi asked, looking up at the Digimon, now identified as Ogremon.

"Hmm?" Ogremon looked down at the teenage girl and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry…do I know you? I mean, you do look familiar…"

"That's because I dyed my hair!" Mimi said with a little laugh. "It's me, Mimi!"

"Mimi?!" Ogremon yelled in surprise. The green Digimon looked over the girl from up to down before laughing loudly and scooping the girl up in a hug.

"Well, I'll be damned! I haven't seen you in four years, cowgirl! How you doing!? And where's Joe at?"

"Joe's here," Mimi said with a big smile, sliding out of Ogremon's arms. "In fact, we were going to look for them before the Gekomon and Otamamon attacked. Do you think you can help us?"

"Hmm…I may be able to, but we'll have to get back to the camp first." Ogremon looked over and noticed Yolei and Hawkmon staring at him in complete shock.

"Hey, who's this chick that stole Joe's glasses?"

"Hey, these aren't Joe's glasses, these are mine! Joe's are smaller," Yolei said, offended at what Ogremon said. "Mimi, who is this guy again?"

"Oh! Right, introductions!" Mimi said with a laugh. "Ogremon, this is Yolei. She's one of several new Digidestined. Yolei, this is Ogremon, a Digimon we made friends with back in our first adventures in the Digital World. He was a bad guy at first, but he became good later."

"Eh, I…usually fall off the wagon once in a while, but I get back on it usually straight afterwards," Ogremon said with a sheepish expression, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ogremon, have you seen Palmon anywhere?" Mimi then asked. "I was wondering where she is, and if you've seen her."

"Oh, I've seen her," said Ogremon. "Follow me! It won't be long before those frogs come back." Ogremon walked down the path with Mimi right by his side. Yolei followed with Hawkmon in her arms again, wondering where they were going.

* * *

"Here we are," Ogremon said a few minutes later, stopping to reveal a small campground with a fireplace, a massive tent big enough to house someone Ogremon's size, and an Elecmon sitting by the fireplace.

"Ah, Ogremon. Good, you've returned," the Elecmon said, standing up and walking over to the green Digimon, noticing the new entrants. "And you've brought the Digidestined with you!"

"Well, some of them," Ogremon corrected the red Digimon. Mimi looked down to see the Elecmon was different from the Elecmon she knew from Primary Village. Three scars ran down his chest, and a sword was strapped to his side.

"Digidestined," Elecmon said with a small bow. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Likewise, I guess," Hawkmon returned the bow as Yolei looked at the campground.

"So…you camp here?"

"I camp a lot of places," said Ogremon. "I've been hopping from place to place ever since that Digimon Emperor guy showed up in the Digital World. This guy's bad news…not bad news like the Dark Masters, but still bad news."

"Don't remind me about them," Mimi said with a shudder, remembering the days of the Dark Masters.

"Right…sorry…" Ogremon said before continuing. "Anyway, I stumbled upon Elecmon when I came into the Night Forest. He seems like not a bad guy. He reminds me of Leomon a little…though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not…"

"Leomon!" Mimi gasped in remembrance. "Ogremon, have you seen…"

"No, but I did hear he was reborn after you guys left," Ogremon answered, knowing what Mimi was going to ask. "He's probably somewhere out there, fighting the Emperor."

"It would be good to see Leomon again," Mimi said, remembering the kind-hearted lion warrior from her first adventure. "So, you said you've seen Palmon?"

"Oh, I have," Ogremon said with a chuckle. "In fact…"

"Ogremon, I managed to get some fruit!" a voice cut through the area and another Digimon walked into the campground. The Digimon was as big as Elecmon, and was green all over like Ogremon, but her features were plant like. Her feet were shaped like roots, her arms ended in purple-tipped claws, and her head, which was usually topped with a tropical flower, was covered by a pink cowboy hat. Mimi gasped, standing completely still as she saw the Digimon come closer.

"It's not much, but I was able…to…" the plant Digimon trailed off when she noticed the girl staring at her. Palmon's eyes narrowed for a minute, studying the human until they widened in surprise. She looked taller, and her hair was different…but there would be no forgetting the face…ever.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Ansoku)

"Mi…Mimi?" Palmon asked in a whisper, her eyes beginning to water.

"Pa…Palmon…" Mimi said, her own eyes watering as well. Everyone stood completely still until Mimi dropped to her knees and scooped Palmon into a hug, both her and the plant Digimon sobbing tears of joy.

"Palmon…I've missed you so much!" Mimi said through her tears, her arms wrapped tightly around her partner. "And you still have my old hat!"

"Like…like I would ever get rid of it," Palmon said with a chuckle. "I've always kept it…as a reminder that someday…we would be together again!"

"Ah…the bond of a Digimon and their human partner is truly a wonderful thing," Elecmon sighed, a happy look on his face. "It reminds me of my old partner."

"Old partner?" Yolei asked in surprise. "Are you saying you're a Digidestined Digimon? I don't think the other Digidestined mentioned you."

"That's because my partner and I were…before the time of your predecessors," said Elecmon. "It has been a long time since I last saw my partner…but I believe she will return someday."

"So I take it you ladies are here to free the Night Forest, and the Gekomon and the Otamamon?" Ogremon asked once Mimi and Palmon had finished crying and hugging. Yolei looked uneasy, as if she was unsure how to answer, but Mimi answered with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Well…actually…we came here to picnic since the last month was spent going around breaking Control Spires…but I mostly came here to find Palmon, since everybody except me was able to find their partner Digimon…and it was, well…an accident that Yolei and I ended up here…but now that we're here, we'll destroy that Control Spire and free the enslaved Digimon!"

"And I believe Yolei here could be of assistance," said Elecmon, causing Yolei to look down in shock. "I have heard rumors that you are one of several Digidestined that can access the ancient Digivolution known as Armor Digivolution?"

"Armor Digivolution? That's actually real?!" Ogremon asked in surprise. "I had heard of it, but I thought it was just a legend."

"It is real," said Hawkmon.

"Then will you help us?" Elecmon looked up to Yolei. The lavender-haired girl stood in complete silence, looking over from Elecmon to Ogremon to Mimi and Palmon like they were going to eat her.

"No…I can't…I just can't!" Yolei yelled, running off from the campground, leaving everyone in surprise.

"Okay, what was that about?" asked a confused Ogremon.

"It appears Yolei seems reluctant to help us in destroying the Control Spire," noted Elecmon.

"It doesn't just seem to be the Control Spire," said Hawkmon. "She wouldn't seem to let me fight the Gekomon and Otamamon. On one hand, it could be because she was afraid of hurting Digimon that Mimi considered her friends, but she said something about me getting hurt again…"

"I think I know what's going on with her," Mimi said, walking after Yolei.

"Mimi, wait for me!" called Palmon. "It's not safe to wander the Night Forest alone!"

"I guess we better follow them," sighed Ogremon, extinguishing the campfire. Elecmon and Hawkmon followed as well after the two girls.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

In the monitor room of his base, Ken watched the scene with slight amusement. As school was out during Golden Week, this gave him more time to stay in the Digital World and take over more areas, while thinking of a new plan to execute on the Digidestined.

"Well, well…this may seem like a fun Golden Week," the boy chuckled, looking at the screen showing Mimi and Yolei, before looking at a screen showing the other Digidestined in a valley, calling for Mimi and Yolei.

"Wormmon!" Upon hearing his name, the green caterpillar crawled forward.

"What is it, Ken?"

"What is today's attack again?"

"Um…if it's the Night Forest, then I think it's the Roachmon Brothers."

"Good!" Ken said with a chuckle. "I think those two young ladies could enjoy them. Oh, and Wormmon…have the Gekomon wake him up."

"Hi…Him?" Wormmon asked in surprise. "Ken, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course I do!" insisted Ken. "He'll provide a good fight for the Digidestined. And best of all, we need no Dark Ring to control him. We'll let his temper do the work for us!"

* * *

"I'm not waking him up, you wake him up!"

"I'm not waking him up, you wake him up!"

Two Gekomon wearing Dark Rings stood in a darkened room where a giant figure slept soundly. The Gekomon had been arguing for five minutes now who would wake him up.

"Listen, how about we both wake him up?" asked Gekomon 1.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" said Gekomon 2, who immediately ran towards the giant figure while Gekomon 1 stood where he was, a smirk on his face.

"Sucker," the green frog chuckled as his companion ran out screaming, the massive figure waking up and stomping forward, an angry look in his eyes.

"WHO…WOKE…ME…UP?!"

* * *

"Yolei!" Davis called.

"Hawkmon!" Biyomon called from the sky.

"Mimi?! Where are you?!" shouted Izzy.

"Where in the world did they run off to?" asked Matt. The Digidestined had packed up their picnic a while ago when they realized that Mimi, Yolei and Hawkmon never returned, and were searching for them in a valley.

"I don't know, but why exactly are we calling for them?" asked Joe. "Can't we just detect their Digivices?"

"Oh! Right!" Davis pulled out his D-3 and held it out in front of him. The only dots he counted so far were nine: One belonging to himself and the other eight belonging to everyone here with him. Suddenly, two more dots appeared off to the side, but the lights were fainter than the other nine.

"Those may be Mimi and Yolei's Digivices," Tk noted, looking at the screen, "but they seem…weak…"

"You don't think the Digimon Emperor got them, do you?" asked Cody.

"I don't know…" Tai started before the ground began shaking, nearly causing the Digidestined to nearly fall of their feet.

"What is that?! An earthquake!?" yelled Armadillomon. The sound of trees being broken caught Joe's attention, and the older boy noticed a giant figure appearing before them.

"No! It's a Digimon!" More trees were pushed aside, and the Digimon was finally revealed. The Digimon before them was a giant red frog-like Digimon with golden horns on his shoulders, two whiskers on his face shaped like a mustache, crazy yellow eyes, a red and purple tendril sticking up from his head, and a yellow belly.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"What is that?!" yelled Cody. Tai, Joe, Agumon and Gomamon gasped, recognizing the Digimon in an instant.

"It's ShogunGekomon, the lord of the Gekomon and Otamamon!" yelled Agumon. "He's an Ultimate level Digimon!"

"Ultimate level?" asked Cody. "What's that?"

"It's the stage in Digivolution after Champion and before Mega!" Izzy explained.

"Damn…the Digimon Emperor is now controlling Ultimate level Digimon?!" Davis asked, realizing that Ken was stepping up his game now.

"WHO WOKE ME UP!?" ShogunGekomon roared, bringing up his foot and lowering it towards Sora, who yelled as the foot descended towards her.

"Sora, watch out!" Tai ran forward and grabbed Sora, pushing her out of the way of the foot, which hit only dirt.

"Everybody, Digivolve!" Davis yelled, pulling out his D-3 again with everyone else pulling out their Digivices as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!"

"AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GREYMON!"

"BIYOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BIRDRAMON!"

"GOMAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…IKKAKUMON!"

"TENTOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KABUTERIMON!"

"GABUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARURUMON!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LIGHT OF SMILES, NEFERTIMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"Go get him, guys!" Tai yelled, pulling Sora to safety with the other Digidestined. As the Digimon began fighting ShogunGekomon, who continued asking who woke him up, Cody began looking over ShogunGekomon's massive form, realizing something was off.

"Guys, I don't think I see a Dark Ring on him anywhere!"

"What?" Davis looked up and realized that Cody was right and ShogunGekomon showed no sign of a black band on his body.

"Cody's right!" Izzy realized this as well. "He's not being controlled by the Emperor at all!"

"Then why is he attacking us?!" asked TK.

"I'LL ASK AGAIN! WHO WOKE ME UP?!"

"Oh, now I remember!" said Tai. "He's really cranky when someone wakes him up!"

"Yeah, he's not much of a morning person," Joe said, remembering that time as well.

"So how do we get him back to sleep?" asked Matt.

"The same way we got him back to sleep last time!" Tai said with a grin. "But first, we'll have to get him somewhere clear!"

"MUSICAL FIST!" ShogunGekomon roared, releasing a powerful wave from his horns that struck the Digimon, knocking them off their feet and sending them flying through the air. The waves were so powerful, they pulled a number of trees up from their roots, leaving a clear path to another valley.

"Well…there's your path!" Davis said with a grin. Tai just looked at him with a blank expression on his face.

"That's not what I meant."

* * *

"Yolei, slow down!" Mimi called after the lavender-haired girl. "Can't we talk about this?" Yolei continued running before she stopped, breathing heavily before falling down on a stone. Mimi stopped next to Yolei and sat down next to her.

"I can't do it Mimi…I just can't do it anymore," Yolei muttered sadly, her eyes watering. "I always felt I couldn't do it…and after what happened to Hawkmon yesterday…I just can't fight anymore!"

"I know," Mimi said softly, pulling Yolei over to her and letting the lavender-haired girl cry softly in her shoulder. "I…overheard your talk with Cody yesterday when I was walking home from a friend's apartment. I know how you feel."

"How can you feel what I feel?" Yolei looked up with narrowed, red-brimmed eyes. "You've been taking this easily since you came here!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"But I never used to," Mimi said, looking down at the ground sadly. "I remember when I first came here to the Digital World four years ago. I was nothing but a spoiled, whiny little girl who wanted to go home and never fight. I never liked fighting because we lost a lot of friends when we fought the Dark Masters…two of them, Leomon and Chuumon, even died protecting me." Faint tears appeared in Mimi's eyes. She could still see Piedmon's knife meant for her go through Chuumon instead, and MetalEtemon's lightning blast hit SaberLeomon instead of her.

"That's what happened yesterday…Halsemon took an attack meant for you, didn't he?" Yolei said nothing and merely nodded.

"I don't know why he did it Mimi…Why did he just protect me like that, knowing he could have died?"

"Because he's more than just your Digimon partner," said Mimi. "He's your friend…and he would do anything to make sure you were safe…even if it cost him his own life."

"But I don't want him to do that!" Yolei said, the tears returning. "I don't want to keep fighting…I don't want to lose Hawkmon! I don't understand why the others can't do this without me, they seem capable to me!" Mimi stayed quiet, thinking about what to say before it came to her.

"I thought the same way you did," the pink-haired girl said, taking hold of Yolei's hand. "There was a time, when I didn't want to fight, because I believed that fighting only made things worse…but later on, I realized that not fighting was just as bad as well. If you don't fight, then your friends…your family…you'll lose them if you don't do anything."

"I know, but…it just hurts…seeing Hawkmon hurt…I still don't understand why he did it…"

"Because it's like Mimi said," Hawkmon came up to Yolei, "you're my friend…and I would do anything to protect you…the question is, would you?" Yolei stayed quiet, contemplating the question thoughtfully. In the few weeks she had been a Digidestined, she had found a great friend in Hawkmon, enjoying his companionship with him more than she did anyone else. She remembered the day she received her Digimental and partner. She remembered Sora telling her about protecting not only the Digital World, but also the Human World as well.

Then she remembered seeing the other Digimon fighting to protect their partners, their friends as well, and now that it came to Yolei, her friends had been protecting them as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"I…I would do anything to protect you Hawkmon, but…"

"Yolei," Elecmon said, looking at the girl in the eyes. "We fight not because we want to, but because sometimes it is necessary. And the constant battles with the Digimon Emperor are necessary. If he conquers the entire Digital World, he could try and take over your world as well."

"That's what I learned as well," said Mimi. "We fight because we have to, because we don't want to see anymore innocent lives lost. I know you were protecting Hawkmon, and that doesn't make you selfish…but you have to think about your other friends…your family."

"Well…my siblings and I…we don't get along well…"

"But you still care for them, don't you?" Yolei nodded to Mimi's question. "Then you have to fight Yolei…otherwise it'll be all lost."

Yolei remained quiet as it finally came to her. Hawkmon did what he did yesterday…and if the positions were switched, then she would have done the same as well. It came to her as well that it wasn't just Hawkmon…Cody, Davis, TK, Sora, Mimi, her sisters, her brother, her parents, Yolei would protect them as well to prevent them from being hurt.

"Mimi…Hawkmon…I'm sorry…I guess…I was just being a fool," Yolei said, pulling her partner and the older girl into a hug.

"Hey ladies, what's gotten you down?" asked two voices from behind. "Would you like to go out on a date with us?" The small group turned around to see two massive brown Digimon that looked very much like…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Gag)

"COCKROACHES!" Mimi and Yolei screamed in fear and disgust, holding each other tightly.

"Oh, great! Not these guys again!" Ogremon said in an exasperated tone.

"I take it you know these two?" asked Elecmon.

"Yeah, these are the Roachmon brothers," said Ogremon. "Their table manners are so atrocious, they make mine look well-behaved! Beat it, you pests!"

"Hey, we're not talking to you, Ogremon!" yelled the Roachmon Brothers, still looking at Yolei and Mimi. "So, how about it girls?"

"Ew! Absolutely not!" yelled Yolei.

"Go wither up in a roach hotel and die!" added Mimi.

"What?!" the Roachmon brothers yelled in shock from being turned down and insulted.

"Man, that's really hurtful," said the Roachmon on the left.

"Hey, big brother!" yelled the Roachmon on the right, who was several inches shorter than his brother. "Since they hurt us, let's hurt them back!"

"Hey, that's a good idea, little brother!" said the big Roachmon.

"So, these guys are really brothers?" questioned Yolei.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?!" yelled both Roachmon.

"No, I don't!" Yolei said quickly. Hawkmon and Palmon placed themselves in front of their partners while Ogremon tightened his grip on his club and Elecmon pulled out his sword.

"After you, big brother," said the little Roachmon, "I'll let you take them out first with your special attack!"

"Oh no, after you little brother," the older Roachmon.

"You guys seem to get along well, huh?" asked Mimi, noticing the politeness between the two brothers.

"Yeah, we do! You got a problem with that?!" the brothers yelled again while Ogremon stifled a laugh.

"No, I don't," Mimi repeated Yolei's earlier answer.

"Hey, I have new idea!" said the little Roachmon brother. "Let's both attack at the same time!"

"Now that I like!" laughed the older Roachmon. "Twice the Roachmon, double the trash!"

"Wait, did he just say…" Yolei started to ask, but was cut off when the Roachmon raised up their arms.

"DREAM DUST!" Both Roachmon brothers bent down and spread their wings, letting loose a barrage of rotting fruit, egg shells and noodles, along with ripped stuffed animals, fish skeletons, tin cans, milk cartons, sushi cartons, and other variety of trash. Mimi and Yolei could only yell in disgust as the they were buried up to their armpits in the trash.

"EEEWWW!" yelled Mimi. "Their special attack is garbage?!"

"What else did you expect from giant cockroaches?" Ogremon asked rhetorically.

"It's not just garbage," said Elecmon. Before Mimi or Yolei could question what Elecmon meant, a large black object fell from the sky and landed in front of Ogremon with a musical crash, revealed to be a piano.

"I don't play piano…" Mimi said weakly as other pieces of furniture, such as couches, chairs, and beds fell from the sky, along with trash cans, refrigerators, bookshelves and dressers.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Zukkoke, Okkake, Oosawagi!)

"You guys are the absolute worst Digimon I've ever met!" Ogremon yelled, smashing the falling garbage with his bone club. "I mean, for Pete's sake, the Numemon are cleaner than you jerks!"

"SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!" Elecmon released electricity from his tail that destroyed more pieces of furniture while slicing apart any closer pieces with his sword, Hawkmon assisting with his Feather Slash.

"POISON IVY!" Palmon wrapped her ivy fingers around a nearby refrigerator and threw it at the Roachmon brothers, but the brown insects spread their wings again and took off in the sky, flying around while pelting their adversaries with garbage.

"Hey, no fair!" yelled Yolei. "Cockroaches can't fly in the Human World!...or do they?"

"The Roachmon may be disgusting, but they're certainly fast flyers!" Elecmon said, a Super Thunder Strike missing the little Roachmon brother.

"Well, let's see how they stand up to Lillymon!" Mimi said in a confident tone, her Digivice in her hands. "Palmon, get in there!"

"Mimi, I can't Digivolve until we destroy the Control Spire!" Palmon reminded her partner.

"Man, this is easy, isn't it big brother?" asked the little Roachmon.

"You said it, little bro!" laughed the older Roachmon.

"Wow, I guess the Dark Rings don't get in the way of sibling bonds," Yolei noted, thinking about how she rarely got along well with her own siblings, and how well she had been getting along with Mimi. The older girl had talked to her softly, and treated her like a sister, understanding her problems. She felt that her siblings would probably not understand how she felt, even if she told them about Hawkmon, and they would probably make fun of her as well.

'Man, I wish Mimi and I were sisters…that would be so cool!' the lavender-haired girl thought with a toothy smile and red color around her cheeks.

"Um…Yolei, what are you fantasizing about?" Hawkmon's voice snapped Yolei back to reality, and she looked up to see the Roachmon were still pelting her and her friends with garbage.

"Oh! Um…nothing," Yolei said with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Well, if you're done daydreaming, perhaps you could Armor Digivolve me so we can help our friends?"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

"Right!" Yolei said, her resolve strengthening to help Mimi. "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLAPPING LOVE, HALSEMON!"

"Woah!" Ogremon yelled in surprise, watching Halsemon taking off with Yolei on his back. "That Armor Digivolving looks sleek!"

"And fashionable!" Mimi said in awe.

"EAGLE EYE!" Halsemon's red eye beams soared through the sky and collided with the Roachmon brothers, creating a red explosion.

"Hey, are you okay, big bro?" the little Roachmon called to his brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said the elder Roachmon. "Let's hit that bird with some tag team moves!"

"Yeah!" Both Roachmon brothers came up side by side and flew at Halsemon with their legs outstretched.

"ROACHMON BROTHERS KICK!" Halsemon saw the attack coming and swerved out of the kick, but the Roachmon brothers bounded back with another combination attack.

"ROACHMON BROTHERS CHOP!" The Roachmon brothers flew at Halsemon again, their arms raised in a karate chop form. Again, Halsemon dodged the attack and the Roachmon hit the ground in an explosion of dust.

"Mimi, Ogremon! Attack the Control Spire!" yelled Halsemon.

"Right!" Ogremon turned towards the Control Spire and pulled back to strike the Control Spire with his Pummel Whack, but a bubble flew from the air and struck Ogremon in the back of the head. While it didn't hurt the green Digimon, it still distracted him.

"Hey, who did that?!" Ogremon turned and yelled in surprise when he saw the Gekomon and Otamamon running towards them like crazy.

"Oh, no! Not now!" yelled Palmon.

"I'll hold them off!" said Elecmon. "Attack the Spire now! SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!" Elecmon's attack tore through the herd of Gekomon and Otamamon, knocking them off their feet as the red mammal Digimon ran forward to fight them in close combat.

"We better do what he says! PUMMEL WHACK!" Ogremon's attack, shaped like his head, flew through the air and collided with the Control Spire in an explosion of black and purple. The black obelisk did not crumble easily, but a big crater was left, and electricity crackled, indicating it was damaged.

"All right!" Mimi cheered, seeing her Digivice's screen light up brightly. "Palmon, it's time to bloom again!"

"Finally!" Palmon said, throwing the cowboy hat to Mimi and feeling energy flow through her as she Digivolved.

"PALMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TOGEMON!" Palmon transformed into a giant green cactus with red boxing gloves, and three black holes for her eyes and mouth. Togemon stood tall before she began changing again, and Mimi's Digivice turned bright green with orange buttons.

"TOGEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LILLYMON!" Togemon changed from a cactus to a small fairy Digimon several inches shorter than Mimi, with pink skin and black eyes, a flower on her head. She wore a pink and yellow dress with green sleeves on her arms and green boots, and four leafy wings sprouted from her back.

"Lillymon, help Halsemon!" Ogremon said, swinging his club at the Gekomon and Otamamon. "I'll help out Elecmon! PUMMEL WHACK!"

"Hang on, Yolei!" Spreading her wings, Lillymon took flight and headed right for the Roachmon brothers, kicking the big brother in the face before punching the little brother in the gut. Both Roachmon brothers gasped as they attempted to regain themselves in the sky.

"Geez, that chick is stronger than she looks!" said both brothers.

"Well, of course I'm strong!" Lillymon laughed with a wink. "I am an Ultimate level Digimon, after all!"

"Ultimate?!" yelled both Roachmon, realizing they were at a disadvantage, as they were only Champion level Digimon.

"TEMPEST WING!" Halsemon took advantage of the Roachmon's distraction to catch them in his tornado. Both Roachmon brothers yelled as they flew around in the tornado and were thrown about in the sky.

"FLOWER WREATH!" Lillymon flew around the Roachmon brothers, becoming a blur as she flew incredibly fast. In a matter of seconds, both Roachmon were wrapped up in a long rope of yellow flowers and green leaves. Grabbing the end of the rope, Lillymon swung the Roachmon brothers around with all her might before releasing the rope and letting the bound insects fly through the air and into the Control Spire, creating another small crater.

"Now's our chance!" yelled Halsemon. "MACH IMPULSE!"

"FLOWER CANNON!" Putting her hands together, Lillymon created a yellow flower that opened its petals and revealed a massive silver gun in it. The gun glowed bright green before releasing a blast of green energy that hit the Control Spire with Halsemon's red wing blades, destroying the Control Spire and causing the Roachmon brothers to fall the ground, their Dark Rings breaking in the explosion. Down below, the Gekomon and Otamamon ceased fighting as their eyes returned to their normal color and their Dark Rings fell off their legs.

"Huh? What happened?" asked one Gekomon.

"You guys just weren't yourselves, that's all," Mimi said happily, causing the amphibian Digimon to look at her in surprise. "We've all had our off days, right Yolei?"

"That's right, Mimi!" Yolei said, landing on the ground with Halsemon and Lillymon.

"No way!" gasped another Gekomon. "The princess has returned!"

"PRINCESS MIMI!" the amphibian Digimon cried in happiness, running over and swarming Mimi and Lillymon, the duo of Sincerity laughing as they returned as many hugs as they could.

"Good work," Elecmon praised the lavender-haired girl. "You saved this area, and you freed the Gekomon and Otamamon!"

"What about the Roachmon?" Yolei asked, looking over to see the two insect Digimon regaining consciousness. "They'll be all right, won't they?"

"Oh, they'll be fine," Ogremon said with a wave of his hand. "Roachmon have quite the survival abilities."

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Nakanaka Umaku Ikanai naa)

"Hey, what are you doing here, big brother?" the little Roachmon brother asked his elder sibling.

"Me? What are you doing here, little brother?!" the older Roachmon asked in surprise.

"You ate my chocolate!" yelled the younger brother.

"Well, that's what you get for eating my daifuku!"

"Well, you took my chewing gum!"

"And you took my crackers!"

"Oh, you want some?!"

"Bring it on!" Yolei and Mimi could only watch in surprise as the two brothers began fighting each other.

"So…the Emperor made them get along well with the Dark Rings…" Yolei said, realizing what was going on.

"Yeah, I think we should get going now," said Ogremon. "We definitely don't want to be in the way of this sibling rivalry." Everybody nodded and followed Mimi, who was tracking the other Digidestined with her Digivice. Yolei gave one last glance to the fighting Roachmon before looking forward again.

'Geez, and I thought my relationship with my siblings was crazy,' thought the lavender-haired girl.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)

"X-LASER!" ExVeemon's laser beam hit ShogunGekomon in the back, forcing the red frog Digimon to stomp after him.

"That's right, come after me!" ExVeemon laughed, flying off to lead ShogunGekomon into the clearing Tai and Davis chose.

"METEOR WING!"

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

Birdramon and Kabuterimon threw their attacks at ShogunGekomon as well, forcing the frog Digimon after them as well.

"I WANT TO SLEEP!" roared the red frog. "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WAKING ME UP!"

"Oh, you'll get back to sleep very soon!" said Ikkakumon. "HARPOON TORPEDO!"

"FOX FIRE!" Garurumon's blue flames tickled ShogunGekomon, as well as Ikkakumon's missile. The red frog Digimon looked down and attempted to stomp on the two Digimon, but they moved out of the way, allowing Greymon to hit him in the face with a Mega Flame.

"All right, Greymon! Now's your chance!" Tai yelled, his Digivice turning orange with blue buttons.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"GREYMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…METALGREYMON!" Greymon grew to the size of ShogunGekomon, and metal plating appeared on his helmet and chest, his left arm becoming a three-clawed metal limb, and six purple wings sprung from his back, allowing him to fly. Taking flight, MetalGreymon flew over ShogunGekomon's head and landed behind him.

"MUSICAL FIST!" ShogunGekomon turned around and hit MetalGreymon with his soundwaves, but the cyborg dinosaur resisted the attack and rammed him with his head. ShogunGekomon stumbled back, right where Digmon was.

"I got you now! ROCK CRACKING!" Slamming his drills into the ground, Digmon created a fissure in the ground, ShogunGekomon's leg getting stuck in it.

"Tie him up!" ExVeemon yelled to Pegasusmon and Nefertimon.

"GOLDEN NOOSE!" Both winged Digimon took flight and created their rope, pinning ShogunGekomon's arms to his sides.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! LET ME SLEEP!" roared the giant Digimon.

"With pleasure!" MetalGreymon boomed, his chest plates opening to reveal two missiles. "GIGA DESTROYER!" The missiles soared through the air and flew into ShogunGekomon's horns and created a massive explosion. When the dust settled, ShogunGekomon was on his back, snoring loudly.

"Wow! I can't believe that worked a second time!" said, Joe looking at the slumbering Digimon.

* * *

"Hmph," Ken grunted, looking at ShogunGekomon's defeat and the Control Spire's destruction. "That is the last time I use frogs or cockroaches."

"So what now?" asked Wormmon.

"I'm going home," Ken said, standing up from his chair and walking out of the room. "I can't think of a new strategy when I'm frustrated." Wormmon simply watched as his partner left.

"Oh Ken…" he moaned softly, wondering what could have caused Ken to be like this and fight Davis and Veemon. Whatever it was, he hoped Ken would return to his old, kind self.

* * *

"HEEY, GUYS!" The Digidestined looked to where someone was calling to them, and their faces brightened up when they saw Mimi and Yolei run over to them with Halsemon and Lillymon flying overhead.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Happy End)

"Mimi, Yolei!" Davis said, happy to see the two girls again.

"Lillymon!" gasped Tentomon upon seeing the familiar fairy Digimon. "So Mimi actually found you!"

"And I'm not the only one!" Lillymon giggled, gesturing to the swarm of Digimon running over them.

"Hey, good to see you little punks again!" Ogremon laughed, swinging his bone club over his head. "How have you been doing?!"

"Ogremon!" Joe and Gomamon said in surprise. Ogremon turned over to see the teenage boy, and scooped him up in a big hug.

"Hey, how's it hanging, four-eyes?!"

"Good…but maybe…you can let go…so I can…breath!" Joe gasped in Ogremon's tight embrace.

"The shogun is all right!" one Gekomon said happily, seeing the giant slumbering Digimon. "And he's still sleeping! You were able to get him back to sleep, yes?"

"Yeah, and it was easy like last time!" Tai said with a big grin.

"So how are we going to get this big lug here out of the forest?" asked Yolei, looking over the red frog Digimon.

"We've done this before," said an Otamamon. The purple tadpoles and green frogs gathered around ShogunGekomon and after several moments of strained grunting, the many Digimon managed to lift their lord off the ground and began carrying him out of the forest.

"Goodbye, my friends!" Mimi called to the Gekomon and Otamamon, who managed to return the farewell while carrying the heavy ShogunGekomon. While the amphibian Digimon left, several other Digidestined were talking with Elecmon, who had told them what he told Yolei earlier.

"So let me get this straight, you're partnered to a Digidestined?" asked Izzy.

"Yes," said Elecmon. "I met my partner long before any of you here stepped foot in the Digital World. It has been a long time since I last saw her…but I can tell we will be reunited someday."

"Then why not come with us back to the Human World?" asked Davis. "We can help you find your partner if she's in Odaiba, or any of the surrounding areas."

"Thank you, but I'll stay here for now," said Elecmon. "I hope to see her again someday, though. And I hope our paths can cross again, Digidestined." With that, the red-furred Digimon turned around and bounded out of the forest, leaving the Digidestined to wonder about Elecmon, and who his partner was.

"So Elecmon is a Digidestined Digimon…" said Cody.

"And he said he met his partner before any of us entered the Digital World," said Davis. "What does that mean?"

"I think it may mean that Elecmon's partner was one of the original five Digidestined," said Izzy, "the ones that Gennai told us when we fought Apocalymon!"

"Oh, yeah! I remember that now!" said Matt. "I've always wondered who the original Digidestined were."

"That's a question worth investigating for another time," said Izzy. "Who they are, when they came here, and how old they may now be…"

"I'm intrigued by that as well Izzy," said Cody. "Maybe these original Digidestined could help us if we found out about them."

'I wish Ryo was here to help us,' Davis thought, looking up in the sky. 'I don't know about these original Digidestined, but Ryo would be better suited to help us out against Ken.'

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

Over the ocean of the Digital World, Cyberdramon flew across the water like a sleek rocket, Ryo sitting on his back. The Legendary Tamer stared out in the distance, his eyes set in determination.

"Ryo…are you sure it was a good idea to leave the others on File Island?" asked Cyberdramon.

"Don't worry," Ryo assured his partner. "File Island is very safe, and there were no Control Spires from what I saw. I'm sure the others can handle themselves and whatever they run into before we return."

"So, we leave and find the other Digidestined, and then we're coming back to introduce them to the Tamers?" asked Cyberdramon.

"Yes," said Ryo, looking off in the distance, his face set in a small glare. The Legendary Tamer had returned home, and nothing would be the same again.

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 9

 **Thanks to some encouraging words from Mimi, Yolei's resolve to fight has returned. And now all the older Digidestined have their partners back. What do you think of the Tamers exploring File Island? Who is Elecmon's partner? Where could Impmon possibly be?**

 **The story continues in the next chapter, where there will be Daikari.**


	10. Chapter 10: Full Metal City!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **I'd like to thank those who reviewed and placed this story in their favorites. Enjoy!**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

As a way to celebrate Golden Week, the Digidestined went to a quiet part of the Digital World for a picnic, but things turned sour when Mimi and Yolei ended up in the Night Forest, and the others were attacked by a rampant ShogunGekomon. However, they were able to beat back the newest threat. Meanwhile, the Tamers ended up on File Island and were separated. Ryo and Cyberdramon have set out to reunite with the Digidestined…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Threat of Full Metal City!

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

"Jeri…I'm tired…" Ai moaned, walking up a hill with her brother and Jeri on File Island. Jeri and the twins had spent most of the day walking around File Island, trying to find their friends and Impmon, but their search yielded no results. The sun had now set and the three Tamers were walking through what appeared to be a tropical forest, and the twins, who were the youngest of the Tamers, were beginning to feel exhausted from walking so much.

"So am I…" Mako said, dragging his feet on the ground. "Can we stop and rest for the night?"

"Not yet," said Jeri. "We have to find a somewhere safe to sleep for tonight. There's no telling what Digimon are here in the forest at night. If we're attacked, then we'll be in trouble. We have no Digimon to protect us."

"But you'd protect us, right Jeri?" asked Ai, looking up at the older girl with her twin brother. Jeri stopped walking at Ai's question. Could she protect them if they were attacked? She hadn't had her Digimon partner for two years…and the best she had ever done for the other Tamers was helping people get to safety whenever Digimon attacked their home. It always ate away at her that she couldn't help much, but Takato and the other Tamers believed in her and still considered her a valuable member of the team, despite Leomon's death. If her friends believed in her, then that meant she could believe in herself and her own strength.

It was through regaining her strength and her friends that Jeri was able to be free from the terror of the D-Reaper, and it would be through this that she would protect Ai and Mako until they found Impmon.

"Yeah…I promise. I'll protect you two. Now, let's find a good place to sleep." The twins nodded and continued walking with Jeri until a loud snapping sound was heard from behind them, causing the three Tamers to stop in their tracks.

"What was that?" asked Mako.

"Shh!" Jeri quieted the young boy and looked in the dark forest, where she could hear someone approaching.

"Hello? Takato, is that you? Rika? Cyberdramon?" The figure stopped moving, staying still before moving again. Jeri stood in front of the twins as the figure stepped out of the forest. Standing before Jeri, Ai and Mako was a brown centaur Digimon with purple spots on his body. A silver helmet hid his face, but one red eye could be seen from the helmet, looking down at the three humans.

"Hey, I think I saw that Digimon on the show!" said Ai. "That's, uh…what's his name?"

"Centarumon," Jeri said, looking down at her D-Arc, which displayed an image of the Digimon before them, along with information about him. Although Jeri's D-Arc hadn't been of much use in the last two years, it could still analyze Digimon. "A Beast Man Digimon. Data type, Champion level. The jets on his back release high-pressure air, and allow him to move at sonic speeds. His special attack is Solar Ray, where he shoots a blast of energy from his right arm."

"Is he going to attack us?" asked Mako, shivering as he looked at Centarumon's red eye.

"I don't think so," Jeri pocketed her D-Arc. "He's a good Digimon that's helped the Digidestined before."

"Maybe he can help us, then?" asked Ai.

"It's worth a shot," said Jeri. "Wait here, you two." Walking up to Centarumon, Jeri looked up at the horse-man, who had remained still since showing himself to the three Tamers.

"Hi…Centarumon? My name is Jeri, and this is Ai and Mako. We're looking for our friends. Have you seen any more humans around here?" Centarumon remained silent, looking at Jeri, and then at Ai and Mako. The Champion Digimon had not spoken or moved for a while now, and it made Jeri slightly nervous.

"Um…Mr. Centarumon? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Can…can you move?"

Centarumon finally moved, but it wasn't what Jeri was expecting. The horse-man Digimon raised his right arm, pointing it at Jeri and extending a gun from it. The brown-haired girl's eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

"SOLAR RAY!" Acting fast, Jeri moved to the side and rolled on the ground as a blast of yellow energy flew from Centarumon's gun and hit the ground Jeri was standing on moments ago. Centarumon turned his gun towards Jeri again, but the former Tamer was expecting the attack and managed to dodge another Solar Ray, making it to the twins.

"What's going on?! I thought you said he was a good Digimon!" yelled Mako.

"I thought he was! Run for it!" The three Tamers began running through the forest. Realizing his prey was running away, Centarumon retracted his gun and began running after them, his mighty hooves pounding the ground he ran on.

Jeri looked back and her face paled when she noticed Centarumon gaining speed on them. Realizing they were in trouble, Jeri did the only thing she could think of: Scream and hope one of the Tamers was close by.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP US!"

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

Near a river, Takato bent down to fill up an empty bottle with water. He had spent most of the day wandering the forest he was in with Renamon, his D-Arc out to find Guilmon. From what he saw, Guilmon was on the other side of the island, which meant it would be a day or two before he could see his partner again, but it depended on how big File Island was in real life. The brown-haired boy sighed. He knew when he came here to this other dimension with the Tamers that it wouldn't be a walk in the park. Although he felt it wouldn't be like the Digital World back home, he was hoping the first day here would be better than his first day back home.

'Well, be careful what you wish for,' Takato thought, capping off the bottle and walking back over to Renamon, who was sitting in a tree branch, looking up at the rising moon.

"Hey, do you want some water?" Takato called up to the kitsune. Renamon looked down and shook her head lightly.

"Are you sure you're not thirsty?" asked Takato, who had noticed Renamon hadn't eaten much since landing on File Island. "Are you hungry?"

"I am fine," said Renamon. "Right now, I must keep an eye out."

"For Guilmon and Rika, and the other Tamers?" Takato had climbed up the tree and had sat down next to Renamon, who moved to make room for Takato without taking her sight away from the trees in the distant.

"Yes, and for anything that may attack us," said Renamon.

"Hey, don't worry!" said Takato. "This Digital World is completely different. Besides, we haven't seen any Control Spires around here, so that means Ken hasn't attacked File Island yet."

"That may be true, but there may still be some wild Digimon lying in wait," said Renamon. "It would be best if you stayed close to me Takato. With Guilmon not here, it comes down to me to protect you."

"Well, what about you?" asked Takato. "If you have to protect me in Guilmon's place, then you have to eat something." Reaching into his backpack, the goggled boy pulled out a loaf of bread and offered it to the yellow fox. Renamon stared down at the bread for a moment, before looking up to see Takato with an encouraging look on his face.

"Besides, Rika will murder me if I let something happen to you while she's gone." Knowing this was true, Renamon sighed, accepting the bread and biting into it.

"It's beautiful, you know?" Takato asked, looking up at the night sky. "This is really how I imagined the Digital World would be like back home…a nice, calm island with amazing scenery…little to no fights…I always wanted to see File Island for real, and now…it's truly what I thought it would be…I wonder what the others must be thinking."

"Rika would probably like it…although she is still not one to admit to something like that," Renamon said, pausing from eating her bread.

"Do you?" Renamon paused again, thinking about Takato's question before answering.

"I suppose so. It is beautiful…but yet, it feels…foreign to me. Before I came to your world and met Rika, the Digital World I was in was much harsher. I had to fight every day just to survive, striving to be the strongest. I never had time to admire scenery such as this."

"Well, now you do have some time," said Takato, smiling brightly. "What do you think?" Renamon looked off in the distance again, and prepared to say something when a loud scream tore through the area and an explosion was heard.

"What was that!?" Takato yelled, slipping out of the tree in surprise. Fortunately, Renamon was able to catch the goggled boy in his arms and land gracefully on the ground.

"It sounds like someone is in danger," noted the kitsune.

"SOMEBODY HELP US!" yelled a female voice that made Takato and Renamon freeze up, as they recognized the voice.

"Renamon, that voice…"

"Jeri!" Renamon gasped, picking up Takato and running to where she heard the explosion and Jeri's scream.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Sousa)

"Get away from them!" Jeri yelled, standing between the twins and Centarumon. The brown-haired girl had found a broken sign pole on the ground near her and was holding it as a sword. Centarumon advanced slowly towards the three children, his arm cannon charging up energy slowly.

"Ai, Mako, when I tell you run, run!" Jeri whispered to the twins.

"But what about you?" asked Ai.

"You can't fight off Centarumon by yourself!" exclaimed Mako.

"I'm not planning to fight him, I'm planning to distract him," said Jeri. "Once he's distracted, I'll join up with you, but I don't want you to get hurt. I promised your parents that I would protect you…and how do you think Impmon would feel?" Ai and Mako couldn't help but admit that Jeri was right.

"On three…" Jeri's eyes focused on Centarumon and his charging gun. "One…two…"

"Hey, over here, horsemeat!" A rock was thrown from the left and collided with Centarumon's head. The beast man Digimon turned his head to see Takato standing in a clearing, a rock in his hands. "You want to pick on someone? Come and get me!"

"Takato, what are you doing?!" Jeri yelled in shock.

"Don't worry Jeri. This is all part of the plan," Takato reassured his old friend. Centarumon turned his entire body to Takato and began charging for him. Takato was shaking as the centaur Digimon continued running closer, but he stood his ground and stared at Centarumon intently.

"TAKATO, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Jeri screamed. But Takato refused to budge. Right as Centarumon was on top of Takato…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Renamon no Theme)

"DIAMOND STORM!" Numerous white sharp objects flew from the sky and pelted Centarumon. The horse-man Digimon was forced to throw his arms up to defend himself from the attack. Centarumon backed away from Takato, and Renamon jumped out of a tree behind Takato, dropping down and kicking Centarumon, forcing the beast man on one knee. But Centarumon stood back up and fired his Solar Ray, which Renamon dodged by fading away before reappearing right behind Centarumon, wrapping her arms around his neck. Centarumon gasped from Renamon's iron-tight grasp, pulling himself back up and began bucking his legs like crazy in an attempt to shake off Renamon. As the two Digimon fought, Takato immediately ran over to Jeri and the twins.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, but Takato, where are Guilmon and Rika?" Takato grimaced slightly, and Jeri realized what that meant.

"Oh…they're okay, right?"

"Well, they're with Kazu, so let's hope everything goes well," Takato said with a sheepish chuckle. "So any reason why Centarumon is attacking you?"

"I don't know," said Jeri, looking over to see Centarumon throw Renamon off his back, and the kitsune Digimon rebound by leaping off a tree and striking him with her Power Paw. "I thought Centarumon was a good Digimon?"

"He is. He's the guardian of the Digivice temple on File Island," Takato said, looking to see Centarumon blast Renamon with his Solar Ray, but the kitsune Digimon was tougher than she looked, shrugging off the attack and delivering a flurry of kicks and punches to Centarumon. "I don't know why he's…" the brown-haired boy trailed off when he saw a black band on Centarumon's left arm, gasping when he saw it.

"That's a Dark Ring!" he whispered as Renamon leaped over to him and the other Tamers.

"Renamon, there's a band on his left arm!" Takato said to the kitsune Digimon. "It's a Dark Ring. That means Centarumon's under the Digimon Emperor's control."

"So what does that mean?" asked Ai.

"It means all we have to do to get him to stop fighting is to break the Dark Ring," said Takato. "We do that, and he'll be free."

"I understand," said Renamon, charging back into the battle. Centarumon fired his Solar Ray attack, but Renamon leapt up to avoid it, landing on Centarumon's outstretched arm and leaping for his face.

"POWER PAW!" Renamon's blue flame-engulfed hand struck Centarumon in the face and the beast man Digimon staggered backwards from the force of the blow. Renamon then struck the Dark Ring, and the band cracked from the attack.

"DIAMOND STORM!" Leaping into the air again, Renamon summoned her sharp white leaves and launched them at the Dark Ring, weakening it further and cracking it apart. Centarumon collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as he felt the evil influence leave him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mako asked worriedly as the Tamers approached Centarumon.

"Yeah, he'll be fine, now that the Dark Ring is broken," Takato bent down to look over the fallen Digimon. "Centarumon…are you okay now?"

"Yes…I think so," Centarumon groaned, lifting his head up to see a mess of brown hair, and a pair of goggles resting in the air.

"Tai?" Centarumon asked, making Jeri giggle at Centarumon mistaking Takato for someone else. "Is that you?"

"No, I'm not Tai!" said Takato. "My name is Takato!"

"Takato?" Centarumon stood back up, looking over the four humans before him. Now that his vision had cleared, the beast man Digimon noticed that the boy before him was not Tai, but the hair, goggles and blue shirt made him think he was Tai. Centarumon also noticed two girls and a boy of different ages with the Tai lookalike as well, and a yellow fox like Digimon that made Centarumon gasp in shock.

"My word…are you a Renamon?"

"I am," Renamon said with a low bow. "You were under the influence of one of the Digimon Emperor's Dark Rings, but I was able to free you."

"You were able to beat me without Digivolving?" Centarumon asked in surprise. "I have heard that Renamon are rare Digimon capable of holding their own against more powerful Digimon in their Rookie forms. Who are you young humans, exactly? Are you Digidestined? And is this Renamon the partner to one of you?"

"Actually, Renamon is someone else's partner," answered Jeri. "We've been separated from our friends. There are six more humans on this island with us."

"Six more humans, you say?" asked Centarumon. "Are they Digidestined, like you?"

"Techinically, we're not Digidestined," Takato showed his D-Arc to Centarumon, Jeri and the twins showing their own devices as well. "We're Digimon Tamers."

"Tamers?" asked Centarumon, surprised at the new Digivices. He had never seen such a model before. "I don't believe I'm familiar with that term."

"It's a long story," said Takato. "I have a feeling you want to hear it."

"Yes, I do," said Centarumon. "Come with me. My temple is not far from here. You can rest there for the night. Please consider it my way of thanking you for freeing me from the Dark Ring."

"Thank you," Takato and Jeri said, following the beast man Digimon. The twins, who were becoming increasingly tired, opted to be carried, Takato carrying Mako and Jeri carrying Ai. A few minutes later, the Tamers found themselves in Centarumon's temple, which excited Takato greatly.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanshou)

"No way! This is actually your temple!"

"Yes, I take it you've heard of it?"

"I've heard of it, and I've seen it, but I've never been inside it before," Takato said, a huge smile on his face.

"He's a fan of Digimon," said Jeri.

"Ah, I see," said Centarumon, turning on several lights for everyone to see. "So let me get this straight. You're from another dimension with its own Digital World, and you've come here to help the Digidestined fight the Digimon Emperor?"

"Yes, we have," said Jeri.

"Fascinating," Centarumon said, his eyes lighting up with amazement. "And in your dimension, Digimon exist not only as real creatures, but as a card game and other media forms?"

"Yeah," Takato dug in his backpack and pulled out a green and blue card. "In fact, take a look at this!" Centarumon took the card he was offered and looked at it, surprised to see himself on the card, which displayed what Digimon he could Digivolve from in the game, as well as his level, type, attribute, a description of him, and his special attacks.

"Simply amazing," Centarumon breathed, handing the card back to Takato.

"Centarumon, what happened to you?" asked Mako. "How did that Dark Ring get on you?"

"Heh, heh…it's a little embarrassing," Centarumon said with an embarrassed look on his eye. "A few months ago, the Digimon Emperor planted Control Spires on File Island and attempted to control us. But us inhabitants, who had been enslaved before at the hands of Devimon, refused to allow a fallen Digidestined to control us. So we rallied together and we destroyed the Control Spires, forcing the Emperor to leave our island."

"Wow!" Takato breathed in astonishment. "That's awesome! You guys managed to resist the Emperor!"

"For now," said Centarumon. "But it may only be a matter of time before he returns. After he left, I found one of his Dark Rings and I decided to inspect it to see how it worked. However, during my research, the Dark Ring clamped on my arm and I fell under the Emperor's control. I apologize for any harm I brought to you."

"It's okay Centarumon, you weren't yourself," said Jeri. "Hey, I was wondering, do you know where Primary Village is from here? We're meeting our friends there."

"I do, actually," said Centarumon. "I can take you to Primary Village tomorrow so you can see your friends again. But for tonight, it should be best that you rest. We'll head out tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," everybody said. Before long, the four Tamers were resting in beds. Ai and Mako had fallen asleep instantly, but Takato and Jeri were still awake.

"Takato, why did you do that anyway when you saved us?" Jeri whispered to the brown-haired boy. "What if Renamon wasn't with you? What if it was just you?"

"The safety of my friends has always been important," Takato said, reaching over and taking Jeri's hand in his own. "And that includes your own as well."

"But what about you?" Jeri asked, frowning slightly.

"Hey, you know I would have dodged," Takato said, squeezing Jeri's hand. "I care very much about you Jeri…you know that, right?" Jeri blushed slightly, remembering when she and Takato talked about their feelings shortly after the D-Reaper Crisis. Takato had admitted to liking Jeri a lot, and Jeri had admitted to caring very much for Takato, but she wasn't sure yet if her feelings for him were romantic.

"So do I, Takato…so do I…" Jeri muttered before letting sleep claim her, the girl's hand still clutching Takato's. The goggled boy couldn't help but blush and smile as well before sleeping.

'Not bad for a first day in a new dimension, I guess,' was Takato's final thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Teki o Yattesukero!)

The next day, the Digidestined returned to the Digital World to destroy more Control Spires. They had split off into four groups to take down more areas faster. Davis went with Tai and Kari while TK went with Matt, Yolei went with Sora and Mimi, and Cody went with Joe and Izzy.

"FLAMING FIST!" Flamedramon's fireballs flew through the sky and collided three Control Spires, cracking them apart slowly.

"NILE JEWELRY!" Nefertimon was the next to attack, pelting the Control Spires with her red jewels, damaging them even more, allowing Agumon to become MetalGreymon and finish them off. The cyborg dinosaur rammed into one Control Spire, knocking it down flat before destroying the other two with his Giga Destroyer. MetalGreymon then landed near an area with a Control Spire. Thanks to the D-3s, Davis and Kari were able to determine the limit the Control Spires over a specific area.

"All right MetalGreymon, this part here is as far as you can go," Davis showed the map to the cyborg dinosaur. "One step further, and you'll regress back to your Rookie level."

"I think I can hit the Control Spire from here." MetalGreymon raised his left arm and took careful aim at the Control Spire. With a yell of "TRIDENT ARM!" MetalGreymon's clawed hand was fired from his arm on a retractable cable, soaring through the air until it stabbed into the Control Spire, which crackled with energy before crumbling.

"All right, that's six Control Spires for us today!" Tai said, referring to their three-Digidestined group. "Let's hope the Digimon Emperor doesn't try to reclaim these areas."

"All the more reason we need to find whatever base the Emperor's using and wreck it so he can stop building Control Spires," said Davis, who let his mind begin to wander on Ken. It had been a full month since the Digital Gate had opened again, and while the Digidestined were making slow progress, Davis still felt it wouldn't be progress enough until they found Ken's secret base.

This also made him think about Ken being the Digimon Emperor. While the burgundy-haired boy had told the Digidestined about Ryo and his unknown friend to the Digidestined, he had yet to reveal his history with the Digimon Emperor. Matt was the only one who knew, but he didn't know the Emperor's name. This made Davis wonder when he would tell them, as he knew it was only a matter of time before he told the other Digidestined that Ken Ichijouji was the other Digidestined he went to the Digital World with, as well as the Digimon Emperor. The new Digidestined leader could only bang his head on a tree in frustration.

'Damn it…why did the Digimon Emperor have to be one of my closest friends? Why couldn't he have been a completely random kid none of us ever knew or met?' Kari turned her attention from Nefertimon and looked over to Davis, her face knitting with worry when she noticed the stressed look on her best friend's face.

"Tai, if it's all right, I'm going to talk with Davis," she said to her brother, nodding over to the younger of the goggled boys. Tai noticed Davis's stressed look and frowned as well.

"All right, you do that. He does look upset about something." Kari nodded, and walked over to Davis, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Davis, is something wrong? You don't look happy about something." Davis sighed, slightly annoyed that Kari was able to notice something wrong by reading his posture and noticing the look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm just upset about not making much progress so far," said Davis, slightly truthful. "We've only destroyed Control Spires so far, but what's not to say the Emperor hasn't made more Control Spires in areas we haven't been to yet, or rebuilt Spires we've already destroyed? That's why we need to focus on finding his base. Plus, the Digital World is massive and it could take us months to destroy all the Control Spires in the Digital World." Davis sighed in irritation, and Kari could only sigh as well, but in sadness.

"I know it's bad Davis, especially for you, since you're our leader," the brown-haired girl reached over to hug Davis. "But you don't have to put all of this on yourself."

"I feel like I should," muttered Davis. "I have something else on my mind that's been…personal."

"Is it something at home with your family?"

"No, things are fine between Jun and me. And my parents…well…"

"You don't have to tell me," Kari said, knowing Davis never had an easy relationship with his parents, who worked a lot to support two children. "But Davis, if something is bothering you, then tell me. We promised when this started that we wouldn't keep secrets from each other." Davis breathed deep, deciding that Kari should also know as well, but she should know the full truth.

"Let's go somewhere more private," Davis took hold of Kari's hand and pulled her into the forest. Kari gasped in surprise as she let Davis guide her through the trees, a light blush across her cheeks.

"Hey, where are they going?" MetalGreymon asked, noticing the two departing Digidestined.

"Let them go," Tai said with a light smile. "I've known Davis for a long time, and I know he won't do anything funny." The brown-haired boy figured the two friends wanted some time to themselves, as well as to do something else which made the bearer of Courage to smirk slightly.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saa, Hashiridasou!)

"STAR SHOWER!" In the skies of the Digital World, Pegasusmon released his attack of falling stars on a group of Control Spires, each one receiving heavy damage from the attack. Knowing that was the signal, Matt whistled loudly, and Gabumon's Ultimate level, WereGarurumon leaped out of the forest and ran forward, smashing his fists into some Control Spires, kicking others with his powerful legs, and releasing an energy wave with a yell of "WOLF CLAW!" destroying the last of the Control Spires.

"That's the last of them!" Matt declared as WereGarurumon returned to his side and Pegasusmon landed nearby, allowing TK to dismount.

"How many Control Spires was that again?" asked TK.

"Seven," grunted WereGarurumon. "That's seven down…and hundreds more to go."

"We'll get them as well," TK said, his face setting into a hard glare. "And we'll get the Digimon Emperor as well. The last thing we need is some brainwashed kid spreading darkness just because it's to 'maintain balance'."

"Well, we're doing more than destroying Control Spires today," said Matt. "Izzy thinks the Digimon Emperor has some sort of base in the Digital World that helps him make Spires, and Davis suggested we split into groups today to find it."

"About time," muttered TK. "I was wondering when Davis would start progressing further than, 'let's go destroy a Spire for the day.'"

"You still haven't had your talk with Davis yet, have you?" Matt asked with a sigh, hearing the slight contempt TK had for Davis.

"No…" TK sighed. "I haven't been able to talk with him yet. It's either a fight in the Digital World, soccer practice, or Davis just leaves for home right when we get back from the Digital World. Plus, I feel he still may be sore at me for what I did last month."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Run with the Wind ~Yamato no Theme #2~)

"TK, I'm pretty sure Davis has some…personal issues he's dealing with. We may be the protectors of the Digital World, but even we have problems outside the Digital World." Matt knew Davis was still hurting slightly from his friend being the Digimon Emperor, but that was for only Matt to know. "Plus, I highly doubt Davis is still angry at you for what you did. It was a month ago."

"Yeah, but I still feel this…disconnection…between us," TK said, sighing heavily. Although he and Davis had been working okay ever since Patamon first Armor Digivolved, he felt something uneasy in him, as if telling him that it was only a matter of time before he butted heads with Davis again, and it got in the way with the team because of it.

"Well, that's how it went with me and Tai before," said Matt. "I think what your problem is TK, is your comparing yourself to Davis."

"What?" TK looked confused. "Matt, what do you mean by that?"

"Well…one of the reasons I…left when we fought the Dark Masters was because I felt like I needed to find myself. I had been comparing myself to Tai a lot, and it wasn't getting me anywhere except fights with Tai. And I think that's your problem, right?"

TK opened his mouth to argue with Matt's theory, but he stopped and thought about why he changed the coordinates last month. It was because of his jealousy over the friendship between Davis and Kari that made him act out. He was upset that Davis, though being a Digidestined shorter than TK was, had more experience and was named the leader. He also hated that Davis had been able to keep a cool head so far in situations, whereas TK let his anger over darkness take him over and he tried to attack the Digimon Emperor. When he looked it over again, he couldn't help but realize Matt was right.

"I…I guess you're right Matt. I guess I have been feeling…inferior to Davis. He seems to be able to do this better than I can…"

"And you can do it just as well, in your own way," assured Matt. "But TK, you should still have that talk with Davis sooner rather than later."

"I will Matt…I promise," TK sighed, walking back over to Pegasusmon while WereGarurumon stood by his partner.

"Do you think they'll get along well?" asked the werewolf Digimon.

"I hope so," sighed Matt. "I certainly hope so."

* * *

Back in the deep forest, Davis had finished telling his story to Kari, and the child of Light could only stare in complete shock. When she had learned the Digimon Emperor's identity, it took everything in her being to not run and tell Tai what Davis told her, especially when Davis told her about Ken being the other Digidestined who helped Davis and Ryo fight Millenniummon.

"…and now we come to here," Davis said, sighing sadly as he sat down on a fallen tree.

"Davis," Kari whispered, feeling faint tears form in her eyes. The child of Light quickly rubbed her eyes before sitting down next to Davis, stretching out and placing her hand in his. Davis blushed a little, and turned away before Kari could notice. "I had no idea you were carrying that much inside of you."

"You have no idea," Davis said with a sad chuckle. "How do you think I feel, knowing that our new enemy is an old friend of mine and I have to fight him?"

(Play Digimon Kanashimi 2)

"I think I can feel some of that," Kari said sadly. "I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like if you were in Ken's place…and I was in yours. You're my best friend Davis, and I don't think I could ever bring myself to fight you."

"Me neither Kari," Davis said, squeezing Kari's hand lightly.

"I'm just surprised you've been able to keep it together since this happened," thought Kari. "Despite what happened the first day this all began, you've been able to keep yourself together and lead us through everything Ken's thrown at us."

"I have to keep it together when we're in the Digital World," Davis said. "I'm the leader, after all. Back home…Jun's the only other one who knows the full story. Matt knows some of it because Jun told him, but I never told him Ken's name." The burgundy-haired boy sighed again, feeling frustrated and sad over the entire ordeal. Kari, seeming to feel Davis's pain, wrapped both arms around Davis in a tight hug.

"Davis…you don't have to keep it to yourself anymore, remember that," she whispered, pulling Davis off the log as she kept her arms around him. "I'm right here for you to talk to, and Tai and Sora as well." Davis looked stunned for a moment before smiling lightly and returning the hug, placing his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you Kari…I guess I just needed to hear something from you to feel better. You always do know the right thing to say to somebody. I guess that's why I…why I like you. You're always kind and caring to everybody, plus you light up everybody's day. I guess that's why your name is Hikari."

Kari couldn't resist the heavy blush on her face when she heard Davis said he liked her. Did he like her as a friend…or something else?

"And you Davis…you've been brave ever since this whole thing began. Despite how personal this is for you, you've been able to fight through it and lead us whenever we needed it, and you've always pulled through for us, always creating some miracle to get us out."

"Well, I do have the Crest of Miracles, after all," Davis said with a slight laugh. "I guess it's a miracle I've been able to get through everything that's happened to me not just this last month, but the last three years in general."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

"Because that's who you are," Kari said, pulling back and looking up to Davis with a bright smile. "I know that you're fighting your hardest and you refuse to give up on saving Ken. That's who you are. When you set your mind on something, you see it to the end. And you're one of the strongest people I know, maybe even stronger than Tai. I guess that's why I lo…like you too!" Kari almost said another word, but caught herself in time. However, Davis looked slightly confused about what Kari said, and became even more confused, as well as embarrassed, when Kari leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?!" Davis blurted out, his face blushing crimson red.

"For being you," Kari smiled sweetly. "I promise I won't tell anyone about Ken until you're ready." Davis smiled and leaned down, kissing Kari on the cheek as well, and it was now the brown-haired girl's turn to blush fiercely.

"That was for being you as well," Davis said before walking off with a laugh.

"Oh, Davis," Kari said with a giggle, before wondering to herself why she did kiss Davis in the first place.

'That was embarrassing,' Kari thought to herself. 'I don't know why I almost said I love Davis. A dark forest definitely isn't the right place to tell someone you…love…' Kari suddenly stopped walking, gasping to herself as her hands flew up to her mouth.

"Oh my gosh…I love Davis," Kari said, her entire face now crimson red with a blush.

"So you love Davis, huh?" Kari gasped and whirled around, seeing Sora come out from behind a tree, Biyomon by her side.

"Sora! How…how long have you been there?"

"I just got here," replied Sora. "Everyone's getting ready to go home, and I decided to come and find you. I showed up in time to see you kiss Davis. You were saying something, but I didn't catch it because I was surprised at what you did. Then I saw Davis kiss you back, so I decided to hang low behind a tree. It wasn't until you said you love Davis that I decided to show myself. So…how long have you been in love?"

Kari sighed at the girl's question. "Honestly? I've felt it for a while. But with everything going on in the Digital World, I guess romance has taken a backseat…and it's taken me some time to figure it out."

"It's okay Kari, I understand," Sora walked over and hugged the girl she considered a sister.

"Yeah, I guess you haven't told Tai yet?" Kari asked with a smirk, causing Sora's face to look embarrassed.

"Well…um…" Kari couldn't help but laugh at Sora's face.

"I'm kidding! But you know he may not wait forever."

"I know. I know…" Sora sighed as she walked back with Kari to the other Digidestined, Biyomon giggling at her partner's blushing face.

* * *

"All right, not bad for a day's work," Tai said once everybody had regrouped. "My group took out six Control Spires, Matt and TK destroyed seven, Yolei, Mimi and Sora took out eight, and Cody, Izzy and Joe destroyed twelve Control Spires!"

"Ha-ha, we got the most Control Spires!" Armadillomon said with a laugh.

"Don't brag Armadillomon, it's not a contest," Cody said sternly. "This is an important matter."

"And it's going to continue on tomorrow," said Davis. "Will anybody, besides us younger kids, be able to come tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately not," Tai said with a sigh. "With school starting again tomorrow, Sora and I have middle school soccer practice tomorrow."

"And I have band practice tomorrow," said Matt.

"Medical exam," Joe gave his reason.

"Cheerleading practice," added Mimi.

"And I won't be able to come tomorrow as well," said Izzy. "I agreed to chaperone a field trip, and we won't be back until after school ends."

"Just leave it to all of us!" Davis said with a big smile, the other new Digidestined smiling with him as well.

* * *

The next day, the Digidestined had returned to school as Golden Week had come to an end. For Davis, the day was mostly boring like other school days. Once the day ended, the younger Digidestined went to the Digital World to destroy several more Control Spires. The team had plans to destroy five Control Spires today. After destroying four, they decided their final Control Spire would be one in the desert. When they reached the location, the five Digidestined were surprised to see the Spire was in a giant futuristic city. A giant metal wall was formed around the city, and a huge glass dome was over the city.

* * *

"Woah! What is this place?" Yolei asked as the Digidestined went into the city with their Digimon Armor-Digivolved.

"It's called Full Metal City," said Flamedramon. "I've heard that it's home to many machine-type Digimon."

"According to the radar, the Control Spire is in the center of the city," Cody checked his D-3 for confirmation on the black obelisk.

"Then let's go!" said Davis. The Digidestined went deeper into the city, and it immediately went downhill when numerous Guardromon with Dark Rings on their chests came charging out of the buildings and began firing their Grenade Destroyer at the Digimon, who began fighting their way through the robots, but it was clear that the entire city was filled with the brown robot Digimon, and the Digimon were exhausted from already destroying Control Spires today.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki!)

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!" the Guardromon yelled out, firing their grenades at the Armor Digimon, who grunted and yelled as they attempted to dodge the missiles, but they were hit by even more.

"This is no use!" yelled TK. "There's too many Guardromon! We can't get them all!"

"Now what do we do?!" asked Cody. Davis grimaced, realizing that there were far too many controlled Digimon for even Flamedramon to fight. And aerial assaults were useless for Halsemon, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon as Guardromon were on top of buildings, and the Guardromon could also fly with jets built into their backs. Before Davis could speak, Flamedramon dropped to his knees and glowed brightly, reverting to Veemon. Before long, the other Armor level Digimon reverted to their previous forms except for Nefertimon.

"There's no other choice," said the burgundy-haired boy. "We need to fall back and think of a new strategy!"

"I saw a TV near here!" said Yolei. "Everybody, follow me!" The Digidestined picked up their partners, Nefertimon reverting to Gatomon so Kari could carry her. The Digidestined ran as fast as they could from the Guardromon's missiles, eventually reaching the TV Yolei saw. Davis ran forward and held up his D-3, opening the Digital Gate. The burgundy-haired boy stood off to the side and motioned with his arm to the others.

"Hurry! Get to the Digital Gate!" Yolei went in first with Hawkmon, and Cody followed with Armadillomon. Davis looked up and noticed TK was coming up fast, but he noticed Kari was still behind.

"Davis, come on!" TK grabbed Davis's arm and pulled him into the Digital Gate.

"But what about Kari?!" Davis yelled in surprise.

"Don't worry, she can make it!" That was the last thing TK said before he was sucked into the Digital Gate with Davis, Veemon and Patamon.

* * *

"Davis, TK! Wait for me!" Kari ran for the TV with her D-3 in her hand and Gatomon by her side. However, since Kari's attention was focused on the Digital Gate she failed to notice a Guardromon on a nearby building, aiming his arms at the Digital Gate. The missiles soared from his arms and hit the TV, engulfing it in an explosion that knocked Kari and Gatomon off their feet. Sitting back up, Kari's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh no…oh no…" Kari whispered, realizing that she was trapped in a city with hundreds of robot Digimon set to attack her.

* * *

"Ow…" Yolei groaned as she stood back up in the computer lab with the other Digidestined. "Did anyone else hear an explosion back there?"

"Yeah, I saw it when we went through!" said Patamon. "A Guardromon was prepared to attack the Digital Gate!"

"Well, at least we managed to get out safely," Cody sighed, holding an exhausted Upamon in his hands.

"Yeah, we…" Davis started before he noticed something amiss. "Wait a minute…where's Kari?" The other Digidestined looked around the computer room, noticing the absence of the child of Light, and her partner as well.

"Oh no…" DemiVeemon whispered in horror, looking up at the computer. "Guys…I don't think Kari and Gatomon made it back in time." The other Digidestined gasped, looking up to see the Digital Gate to Full Metal City was marked 'closed'.

* * *

After getting over her shock and fright, Kari quickly grabbed Gatomon and ran out of the alley the Digital Gate was in, running down the street and avoiding any Guardromon before hiding in another narrow alley. It was then she realized the situation was in. She was in a city alone with her partner, who could only Armor Digivolve, the Digital Gate was destroyed, which meant escape was impossible, as well as reinforcements. Until help arrived, she would have to sit tight.

Kari bit her lip and peeked out of the alley, looking up to see the Control Spire in the distance. Based on her current location, the Control Spire was ten miles from here. She knew if they could, she and Gatomon could destroy the Control Spire and free all of the Guardromon. But that was a big 'if'. She didn't know if she could do it herself. If it was Tai and Davis in her position, either one of them would be able to destroy the Spire in a few minutes. Gatomon looked out of the alley as well, looking for any Guardromon coming their way. Fortunately, the robot Digimon did not seem to be pursuing them for now, but the white cat knew they wouldn't be safe for long.

"Kari, don't worry," she assured her partner. "If anything happens, I can Armor Digivolve in an instant. There's still plenty of energy left in me."

"Let's save that for an emergency," said Kari, shaking her head. "The Guardromon are the least of our worries. If we stay quiet and find the right hiding places, then we may be able to destroy the Control Spire and avoid any fights."

"But the Control Spire's in the middle of the city!" gasped Gatomon. "There's no way we can sneak all the way there!"

"Maybe not," said Kari, "but it's better than hiding and waiting for help."

"Kari, are you sure you want to do this?" Gatomon asked, never seeing her partner this determined.

"I am," Kari said, determination everywhere on her face and in her eyes. "It's high time I stepped up and stopped being a damsel in distress! It's time I showed that I can be just as strong as Tai, Davis, and everybody else!"

"Well…" Gatomon hesitated slightly. "…if you want to do this, then I'll support you. But it would be best you send a message to the others. They're probably worried about us, and some backup wouldn't hurt."

"I'm on it." Pulling her D-Terminal out of her pocket, Kari started typing a message to the other Digidestined.

* * *

"Come on…open up!" Yolei muttered angrily, attempting to open the Digital Gate they had just come through. But the red light continued flashing along with the word 'closed'.

"It's no use…" she sighed dejectedly. "The gate's not opening."

"Well, it did get blown up with a missile," Upamon said off-handed, causing Cody to sigh in irritation.

"You know Upamon, I think tonight's lesson should be about being tactful…"

Davis could only seethe in anger. His best friend was still trapped in the Digital World, and there was no way he could get back to Full Metal City. Kari was in danger. She could be hurt, or worst…!

'No, don't think like that!' the goggled boy shook his head. 'She can't be dead…she can't be!'

"Davis, are you all right?" TK asked, placing a hand on Davis's shoulder. Davis froze up hearing TK's voice and feeling his hand. Turning around, Davis glared at TK, who backed away slightly from the burgundy-haired boy's glare.

"Did you seriously just ask me that?" Davis asked, his voice dangerously low. TK began sweating nervously, realizing Davis's temper had just been ignited again.

"Okay, maybe that was a mistake…"

"And so was pulling me back through!" Davis yelled, grabbing TK and slamming him against the wall. "You said she would be okay and make it through, but I knew something would go wrong! That's why I wanted to wait until everybody else got through before I went through! Or you could have helped Kari out! Now my best friend is in trouble again, BECAUSE OF YOU!" TK winced, feeling the words stab through him like an icicle as he remembered the day he had changed the coordinates. It was his fault…and TK knew it.

"Davis, calm down," Cody stepped between the two older boys. "It's not TK's fault."

"Shut up, it is his fault!" Davis snapped, turning his anger to Cody. "And telling me to calm down?! My best friend is trapped in a city filled to the brim with destructive robots! And don't get me started on what Tai's reaction will be! He'll be ballistic!" Cody could only back away with a startled look on his face, surprised at the way Davis talked to him.

"Should you calm him down, or should I?" Poromon asked Yolei nervously.

"No way," Yolei said with a frown. She knew Davis would be hard to calm down when he was upset about Kari.

"Let me!" said DemiVeemon. "I can usually calm him down when he's like this!" The little blue dragon ran over and hopped up on Davis's shoulder, rubbing it gently with his stubby little arms.

"Come on Davis, take it easy. Calm down. I know you're upset and worried about Kari, but you shouldn't take it out on TK or Cody." Davis breathed deeply and sagged his arms, feeling his anger evaporate.

"You're right DemiVeemon…I'm sorry Cody, TK…"

"No…you're right Davis," TK said, looking down to the floor. "It was my fault. I thought Kari could make it, and I was worried that something would have happened to you. It could have been you instead of Kari that got trapped in the city."

"Better me than her," Davis said firmly. "As the leader of the Digidestined, the safety of my teammates and friends comes first before my own. If Tai was in my position, I knew he would have done the same…"

'And Ryo would have done the same as well,' the burgundy-haired boy thought. The sound of beeping suddenly caught everybody's attention, and Yolei turned back to the computer.

"It's nobody's fault," said Cody. "Any one of us could have been in the same position as well. Who knew the Digital Gate would be destroyed? But we need to focus on saving Kari. She may have Gatomon, but there's no telling how much energy Gatomon still has in her to Digivolve and fight the Guardromon."

"Guys! I just got an email from Kari!" Yolei said, looking at the computer screen. Davis and TK's spirits lifted up greatly when they heard the lavender-haired girl.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"What does it say?!" Davis looked over Yolei's shoulder to see the message.

The message read, 'Don't worry; I'm all right. Gatomon and I will try to destroy the Control Spire. If it's not possible, then we'll try to escape the city.'

"What the…is that right?!" TK asked in surprise. "Kari can't take on all those Guardromon in the city!"

"Knowing Kari, she'll try to avoid the Guardromon as best she can and focus on the Spire," Davis said, looking at the email with a grim expression. "But it can still go wrong in an instant. Yolei, let me see the computer!"

"Okay, what are you doing?" Yolei asked as she moved out of the seat which Davis occupied immediately and began typing on the computer.

"If the Digital Gate we went through is destroyed, then I'll have to use the Digital Gate near Full Metal City," Davis explained. "I'm going back to get Kari out of there. Yolei, do you still have that stash?"

"Yeah, it's right here." Going over to a nearby shelf on the room's wall, Yolei opened the shelf door and pulled out a sack of food that she brought from her family's convenience store for the Digimon to feast on after they returned from the Digital World.

"Good," Davis took the sack from Yolei and slung it over his shoulder after finding the Digital Gate needed.

"I'm coming too," TK said, pulling out his D-3. "You were right Davis. This was my fault. Please…let me make amends and help you save Kari." Davis seemed reluctant to let TK come with him, but when he looked at the blond-haired boy and saw the guilty, pleading look on his face, he realized TK meant it and sighed.

"All right, TK and I will go to Full Metal City," said Davis. "Yolei, Cody, get Tai and the others. We may need some backup!"

"But it's getting late!" Cody said, looking up at the clock, which read 6:00. "What should we tell your families?"

"My mother knows about the Digimon, so she'll understand," TK said with a light shrug.

"Jun will understand as well, since she knows Digimon," Davis said before frowning, "and as for my parents…well, they don't know about Digimon…and they won't care."

"Davis, you don't mean that," said TK. Davis merely scoffed before raising his D-3 and going through the Digital Gate with DemiVeemon. TK repeated the gesture, and entered the Digital World with Patamon, leaving Yolei, Poromon, Cody and Upamon alone in the computer room.

"Okay, so what should we do?" asked Yolei.

"I'll call the others," said Cody. "Get to your family's convenience store and get some food for Upamon and Poromon. They'll need their strength again when we get back to the Digital World."

"Right!" Yolei picked up Poromon and ran out the computer room, Cody following after her with Upamon in his arms.

* * *

A flash of light appeared briefly in the desert of the Digital World before fading away, revealing Davis and TK, their partners already digging into the bag of food.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Happy Friends ~Takeru no Theme~)

"Eat up guys," Davis said to the two Digimon. "Once you've eaten your fill, we'll head out to Full Metal City." TK stood on a nearby sand dune, looking out at the city in the distance with a pair of binoculars.

"Looks like it's twenty miles from here," the blond-haired boy said, looking away from the city to look down at Davis, observing Veemon and Patamon's little feast. Since they had a little time before they headed out to the city, TK decided it was time to have the talk Matt had been insisting he have with Davis.

"All right…here goes nothing," TK sighed before climbing back down the sand dune.

"Davis…can we talk before we go?"

"Well…we have some time before Veemon and Patamon finish eating, so I guess," said Davis, moving away from the Digimon so he could have a private talk with TK.

* * *

"All right, what do you want to talk about?" Davis asked once the two boys had a good distance between themselves and their Digimon. TK took three deep breaths before speaking.

"I want to apologize, and I mean, really apologize," said TK. "I'm sorry for not making sure Kari was safe with us when we went through the Digital Gate. I'm sorry for changing the coordinates that day…and I'm really sorry for letting my jealousy get the better of me."

"Jealousy?" Davis asked with a raised eyebrow. "What were you jealous of?"

"Not what, who," TK corrected the goggled boy. "I was jealous of you Davis. I was jealous about you and Kari being best friends longer than I was with her. I was jealous that Kari was spending more time with you than me when I moved back to Odaiba. I was jealous that you were named the leader of the new Digidestined when I had more experience than you. I knew I should have been supportive of Tai's decision, and I should have known better than to let my jealousy with your friendship get in the way of our team dynamic…but I didn't. And twice now, Kari's paid the price for my mistakes…and I don't care what Cody said about it being nobody's fault…it was my fault, and you had every right to blame me. I really am sorry for everything Davis."

Davis said nothing as he let TK say everything he wanted to say. When he was done, the burgundy-haired boy was stunned at everything TK just said. He was mad at him before, but after hearing and seeing TK pour out his heart in telling him everything, Davis couldn't help but feel his anger evaporate.

"Dude, I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," said TK with a shake of his head. "I was the one being a complete jackass."

"I see…" Davis nodded. "I'm sorry as well. I guess I was being immature in letting my anger get the better of me…but whenever my friends are in trouble, especially Kari, I get upset because I feel like I should have done more to help them."

"Kari's that important to you, huh?" TK asked with a light smile. Davis nodded to answer the question.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"Yeah…you have no idea," said Davis, looking crestfallen. "I've never made friends easily, and before Myotismon attacked Odaiba, I never had a good relationship with my sister Jun…and my parents, while we've had fun times together, have always seemed to treat me as a plague. And they also work a lot of hours, so I hardly see them." TK frowned sadly hearing Davis's parental issues.

"Kari…she was the very first person to ever truly reach out to me," Davis continued, smiling lightly as he remembered the first day he met Kari. "She truly accepted me for who I was, and Tai and Sora also accepted me as well. Ever since then, we've hung out together and done everything together. Tai's been more than my mentor in soccer, he's been like my brother, and Sora's been like my sister. And Kari…she's special in my life, she's very special."

"You love you, don't her?" TK asked with a small smile. Davis blushed heavily as he thought over the answer. Several weeks ago, he would have denied it, but after that moment he had with Kari yesterday, he could no longer deny the feelings he had been hiding: He was in love Kari Kamiya.

"I do…I truly do love her," said the goggled boy. "I've just been so focused on the Digital World and the Digimon Emperor, I guess I really haven't had time to ask Kari to be my girlfriend."

"We may be Digidestined Davis, but we're still normal human children," TK placed his hand on Davis's shoulder. "You should talk with Kari when you can about your feelings for her. If Kari makes you happy, then I'll back off." Davis nodded with a smile before TK's smile dropped again as he thought of something else he wanted to talk about.

"There's something else I wanted to talk with you about…and I'm sorry if I'm getting real personal…but I need to know something."

"What?" Davis asked with an eyebrow raised. TK steeled himself before answering.

"The last time you were here in the Digital World…Veemon died, didn't he? He died fighting Millenniummon." Davis was shocked at the question. Of all the things he expected TK to ask him, this was definitely the last thing he ever expected to be asked. It hurt Davis to think about that day. He hadn't gotten around to talk about it anyone beside Jun. Not even Kari knew.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"When we went to Santa Geria and the Vegiemon captured us," TK continued, "and RedVegiemon was beating up Veemon, you looked absolutely broken, begging Veemon to stay down and saying you didn't want to lose him again. It's unbearable, isn't it? To see your Digimon partner die in front of you?" Davis looked into TK's eyes, the azure orbs showing pain, anger and sadness. Davis recognized that look instantly. He had that look when Veemon died, and if TK had that look…

"Patamon died as well, didn't he?" TK bit his lip and nodded. It always hurt him thinking about when Angemon died fighting Devimon on File Island. It was four years ago, but he still remembered it like it was yesterday. He had never talked about it with anybody, not even Matt.

"It is unbearable," Davis said sadly. "The best we can do is endure and not dwell on the past, and focus on the now…and the now is getting Kari out of there."

"Well, we're done eating," said Veemon, walking over with Patamon flying by his head.

"We're ready to go!" said Patamon. "Just Armor Digivolve us and we'll get you guys there fast!"

"Save your energy for when we get into the city," said TK. "We're not sure how much energy that food gave you." Patamon and Veemon nodded as the group of four ran through the desert to Full Metal City, Davis and TK intending to work together.

* * *

Quietly peering around the corner of the nook she was hiding in, Kari observed three nearby Guardromon. They didn't see her or Gatomon, and Kari breathed a sigh of relief. For the last twenty minutes, the duo of Light had been sneaking through the city towards the Control Spire while keeping an eye out for any Guardromon.

"Well, we've searched everywhere, and there aren't any more Digital Gates," Gatomon said gravelly. "So that means we may have to get to the exit."

"We're too far away from it now," Kari said, looking up to see the Control Spire with narrowed eyes. "We have to destroy the Control Spire if we want to get out of here. Just a little further, and then…"

"INTRUDER DETECTED! INTRUDER DETECTED!" Kari gasped and turned around to see the trio of Guardromon she sighted earlier were heading towards them, their arms outstretched.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"Oh no! I must have leaned out too far!" Kari gasped at her mistake.

"Hiding is pointless now!" Gatomon said, leaping out of the alley. "Armor Digivolve me and fast!" Kari nodded and raised her D-3. A flash of light later, and Nefertimon flew into the skies with Kari on her back. Two Guardromon on buildings fired their grenades at the sphinx Digimon, but Nefertimon stopped the missiles in midair with her Nile Jewelry attack.

"Save as much energy as you can for the Control Spire!" Kari said, gripping her partner's fur tightly. "We'll have to take it down with one strong attack!"

"Tell that to these tin cans!" Nefertimon knocked down three Guardromon in front of her with her Rosetta Stone. "I'm low on energy, and I'm afraid I may use it all on these guys!"

"Darn…" Kari frowned, wondering what Tai and Davis would do. Her eyes went from the Control Spire to the Guardromon to the distance in the city, an idea forming in her head.

"Fly away from the Spire and to the edge of the city! While the Guardromon are distracted, we'll double back and take out the Spire before they notice us!"

"That sounds like a good idea!" Nefertimon voiced, steering to the right to make the Guardromon chase them. The brown robots chased after them, but more were coming out of buildings everywhere, firing their missiles at Nefertimon. The sphinx Digimon cursed under her breath as she continued dodging the missiles. Kari could only grimace, hoping they could reach the Spire before Nefertimon was shot down.

* * *

In his monitor room, Ken watched the aerial battle with slight amusement. Every one of his monitors showed an image of Kari and Nefertimon flying through Full Metal City.

"I have to admit, I like this girl," Ken smirked, watching Kari give Nefertimon instructions. "Davis has definitely rubbed off on her. But she's mistaken if she thinks she can free Full Metal City by herself. Wouldn't you agree, Wormmon?"

"Well…yeah, I…I guess so," Wormmon said, watching the battle with a sad look before looking at the time. "But Ken…it's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading home soon?" Ken's smirk vanished as he turned to glare at Wormmon before scoffing.

"Why exactly should I head home? I'm in the middle of something. Besides, my parents have never cared about me. Nobody has ever cared about me…unlike you, who's always been there for me." Wormmon could only sigh in sadness as Ken turned his attention back to Kari. The green caterpillar turned away to see a monitor not showing Kari and Nefertimon, but Davis and TK running towards Full Metal City.

"Ken, I think you should take a look at this." Ken turned around and saw what Wormmon saw, his eyes narrowing.

"So…Davis comes to the rescue." Ken glared at the monitor showing Davis as if he was hoping it would explode upon making contact with his eyes, until his face turned into an evil smirk.

"I have an idea…" Ken raised his hand and summoned his list of captured Digimon. "Since Davis seems that dedicated to his best friend, and since Kari seems like quite the fighter, I think I should reward them for their dedication by giving them a special Digimon." Ken pressed the name of one Digimon, and an instant later, the Digimon's silhouette showed up on a blank screen, causing Wormmon to gasp in shock.

"Oh no…you don't mean…?"

"Yes," Ken said with an evil laugh. "The very first Ultimate level Digimon captured by our Dark Rings!" Looking at the silhouette with an evil smile, Ken pressed the button to send him in to Full Metal City.

* * *

Back in the Human World, Cody stood outside the Inoue convenience store, a payphone held up to his ear as he told Tai the situation involving Kari, TK and Davis. Inside the store, Yolei stood in front of the register, filling up a bag with food for Poromon and Upamon.

"Yolei, when Mantarou or Chizuru get back, can you ask them to watch the store?" asked Yolei's father, who stood behind the counter.

"Sure," Yolei said, jamming the last piece of food in her bag. "That should be all."

"Okay then," Mr. Inoue said, noticing the full bag. "Out of curiosity, why exactly do you order so much food every day?"

"Well…I have friends with massive appetites," Yolei chuckled nervously. "They're growing teenagers, you know! See you!" Yolei ran out the store to see Cody with Poromon and Upamon at his feet.

"I called Tai and I gave him the news," said Cody. "And I also called Matt as well. I told my mother I would be late. What about your parents?"

"Well, Dad asked me to do something," said Yolei. "He wanted to see if my brother or sister could run the store if I saw them."

"We may see them on the way," said Cody. "Let's get back and wait for Tai. He said he's going to get Sora."

"Right!" Yolei picked up her bag and Poromon, running after Cody and Upamon.

* * *

The moment he hung up the phone, Tai threw on his shoes and tossed a hoodie to Agumon as a disguise, running out the door without putting on his school jacket. But he didn't care how he looked right now. The moment Cody told him Kari was in trouble, Tai was already set on going to the Digital World.

"Tai!" The brown-haired boy looked over to see Matt and Gabumon run towards him, the latter dressed in a sweater as well, but it looked awkward considering his horn.

"Matt, did you hear what's going on?"

"Yeah, Cody called me," Matt said, looking nervous. "I wish I could help, but I'm supposed to make dinner for Dad tonight. Make sure TK's all right. He and Davis have been…having issues."

"Ah…I see," Tai said with a nod. "Can I at least trust you to tell Davis's sister that he'll be running late? Jun will probably be home by now."

"Okay," Matt nodded. "What if it's Davis's parents that answer the door?" Tai frowned slightly before answering.

"Just come up with something," said the brown-haired boy. "Davis doesn't exactly have an easy relationship with his parents, so they may buy anything you tell them."

"Ah…I see," Matt nodded, having had his own family issues before. "All right, I'll see what I can do. Go get Sora and get to the school."

"Thanks!" Tai and Agumon turned around and ran off. Matt turned to head to Davis's apartment building, letting out a big breath.

"So TK and Davis are working together," Gabumon noted. "Do you think they'll be able to work together and talk things over?"

"I sure hope so buddy," said Matt, repeating what he said yesterday.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

Thirty minutes had passed and Davis and TK finally made it near the city entrance. Peeking over a sand dune, they noticed the big doors leading into the city. And in front of the doors was one lone Guardromon, turning his body at regular intervals to detect any intruders.

"Only one," Davis said. "But it only takes one to sound the alarm. We have to take him out hard and fast with one hit."

"I don't think Armor Digivolving can help here," said Veemon. "I'm fast as Flamedramon, but not that fast."

"And they may detect Pegasusmon from the skies," said Patamon, an idea suddenly coming to him. "But…since there are no Control Spires in this area, we can Digivolve normally!"

"Yeah, that's an idea!" TK said happily, getting the idea as he pulled out his D-3.

"Let's hope Patamon's Champion level is fast and strong," Davis noted. "ExVeemon may be strong, but he's not fast enough!"

"Oh, I think Patamon can get him good," TK said with a smile. "Ready, pal?"

"You know it!" said Patamon. TK's D-3 flashed and a strand of code flew from the screen, wrapping Patamon in a white cocoon as he felt himself Digivolve.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEMON!" The cocoon faded to reveal Patamon's Champion form Angemon, a tall, humanoid Digimon with six white wings, clothed in white and blue cloth, a staff in his hand, long blond hair going down his back, and a silver helmet covering his eyes.

"Angemon!" TK said, a happy look on his face. "I haven't seen you in forever!" Angemon nodded before spreading his wings and taking flight, gliding along the sand towards the Guardromon. The brown robot turned and noticed the angel Digimon approaching him at a fast speed, spinning his staff in his hands.

"INTRUDER…"

"ANGEL ROD!" Angemon's yell was faster and louder than Guardromon's as he flung his staff at the Dark Rings, shattering it upon impact. Angemon landed next to the disabled Guardromon, his staff landing back in his hand.

"Now, hurry up!" Angemon called to the other three. TK, Veemon and Davis hurried to the doors as Angemon busted them open with his staff. The quartet stepped into the city, but the moment Angemon stepped into the city, he groaned as he felt his energy leave and he reverted back to Patamon.

"Aw, nuts!" Patamon moaned. "I looks like I can't hold my regular forms in an area with Control Spires."

"It's all right," TK assured his partner. "You did fine."

"All right," said Davis, pulling out his D-3. "Let's get Kari!"

* * *

"…and that's the story," Matt told Jun. The red-haired girl looked worried when Matt told her about Kari being trapped in a city in the Digital World and Davis going to rescue her with a boy he wasn't having good issues with at the moment. Jun breathed deep and went over to put on her shoes.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" asked Jun. "I'm heading to the school so I can wait for Davis to get back. I may not be a Digidestined, but I still care about Davis!"

"What about your parents? What will you tell them?" asked Matt. Jun just scoffed.

"If they won't care about Davis, then they won't care what I do with Davis," she said, stepping outside in the hall and closing the door. As she headed for the stairs, she stopped before turning back to the blond-haired boy.

"Hey Matt…I never did get to thank you for keeping your promise, and for looking out for Davis that day."

"It was nothing," Matt said, smiling softly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No, really," Jun insisted. "You really do seem like a good friend to trust, and I wanted to thank you. How about a date?"

"Wait, what?!" Matt asked in surprise.

"Friday night at eight! I'll call you later with the details!" Jun called before running down the stairs to head to the school, leaving a confused Matt and an amused Gabumon in her wake.

"What the hell just happened?" Matt asked weakly.

"I think she likes you!" said Gabumon, getting a blush from Matt.

"Let's just go home and make dinner," the bearer of Friendship muttered, wondering how this happened.

* * *

"You didn't get kanpyomaki," Poromon whined as he ate the food from Yolei's bag with Upamon.

"I told you, we don't serve sushi after six," said Yolei. The door to the computer lab slid open, and Cody ran in with Tai and Sora, Agumon and Biyomon right behind him.

"All right, let's get to work!" Tai said with a determined look.

"Got it," Yolei held up her D-3. "Digital Gate, Open!" A flash of light later, and everybody was gone. Moments passed and the sound of footsteps was heard, and Jun Motomiya ran into the room, surprised at the sight of a computer left on, and a bag of snacks left on the floor.

"Agh, they left," she griped before sitting down. The only thing she could do now was wait. Jun's ears perked up when she heard more footsteps and saw Izzy enter the room with Tentomon flying by his side. The red-haired boy stopped in his tracks when he saw Jun sitting in a chair in front of the computer with the Digital Gate still open. Izzy and Tentomon could only have looks of fear on their faces.

"Um…I can explain!" Izzy said, grabbing Tentomon and holding him close to his chest.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"FLAMING FIST!"

"STAR SHOWER!"

Davis and TK had only walked down a few blocks when the Guardromon began firing at them with their missiles. Flamedramon leapt from buildings to pelt them with his fireballs while Pegasusmon flew overhead, hitting more Guardromon with his stars.

"There don't seem to be that many Guardromon attacking us than before!" Pegasusmon said to TK and Davis, the two boys riding on his back.

"It may be because they're focused on Kari," Davis muttered, looking around for any sign of Kari. The sound of a distant explosion caught his attention, and Davis looked to see smoke rising from a building in the distance, and a familiar winged Digimon caught his vision as well.

"Guys, Kari's over there!" Davis pointed to the smoke cloud in the distance. "Follow that smoke!"

"You got it!" Flamedramon acknowledged, leaping up and off rooftops to catch up with Pegasusmon.

* * *

"Trying to be a hero, Davis?" Ken taunted as he watched the battle from his monitor. The purple-haired boy pressed a button on his chair.

"All Guardromon! Concentrate all your fire on Flamedramon, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon! You are free to use as much power as you want, but leave them alive for him!"

'Oh, no…' Wormmon thought with worry.

* * *

"Keep it up, Nefertimon!" Kari encouraged her partner, seeing the Control Spire becoming closer. "We're almost there!"

"Almost…there…!" Nefertimon gasped. The sphinx Digimon was battered from being hit with rubble from the Guardromon's missiles. Nefertimon could feel her energy ebb away from her by the second. She couldn't take much more, but she was almost there to the Spire. Just a few more miles…!

"GRENADE DESTROYER!" The Guardromon fired their missiles and this time they managed to hit Nefertimon, her white wings being blasted by the attack. Nefertimon screamed in pain as she began falling down to the street, Kari's eyes widening with horror at the incoming pavement.

"Nefertimon, pull up! Pull up!"

"I…can't…go on much longer in this form!" Nefertimon gasped. The armored Digimon slammed into the ground and Kari fell off her partner, who reverted to Gatomon from the damage she received.

Kari sat up with a groan, her body swaying uneasily. Feeling something warm, wet and sticky dripping off her forehead, she placed her fingers to where she felt a wound on her head, and retracted it to see blood on her fingers. Before she could realize how much of a miracle it was to have survived that fall, Kari heard Gatomon hiss and looked up to see more Guardromon stomping towards her, their arms raised to fire more missiles.

"I'm not done yet!" Gatomon hissed defiantly. "LIGHTNING PAW!" Gatomon's punch knocked the Guardromon closest to her into another Guardromon, but three more appeared and began firing their missiles. Gatomon dodged the attacks as best she could, but she was already exhausted from so many hours of destroying Control Spires, fighting the Guardromon, and dodging missiles. Gatomon grunted and yelled as the attacks pelted her.

"GATOMON!" Kari screamed, tears appearing in her eyes as she saw her partner engulfed in a cloud of smoke with a pained yell.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"EQUIS BEAM!" Pegasusmon's green beam hit a Guardromon flying in front of him, but ten more appeared and began firing more missiles, forcing Pegasusmon to land and let Davis and TK off his back before flying again.

"FIRE ROCKET!" Flamedramon rammed into a row of Guardromon, but more attacked, forcing Flamedramon to alternate between dodging and attacking. The dragon man breathed deeply, feeling his energy leave him by the moment. Even though he had eaten, the food he had eaten could only give him enough energy to fight for a limited time. And from Pegasusmon's flight pattern, it was clear the winged horse was tiring as well.

"Our Digimon didn't eat enough!" TK yelled worriedly.

"Ignore the Guardromon as best you can!" yelled Davis. "Dodge the missiles as best you can!"

"We're trying…" Flamedramon gasped before glowing and reverting to Veemon, who fell flat on his back, breathing heavily. Pegasusmon collapsed as well from being hit with too many missiles from the Guardromon in the sky, reverting to Patamon.

"No, no, no!" TK yelled, picking up Patamon. "Patamon, wake up buddy! There has to be some energy left in you!"

"I do TK…but I can only hold it for so long…" the winged Digimon groaned.

"Veemon, come on buddy!" Davis encouraged his partner. "We can't leave Kari hanging!"

"I hear you…Davis…" Veemon stood up, shaking slightly from the battle. "We can't…give up…!"

* * *

"Salamon!" Kari gasped when the smoke covering Gatomon dispersed. In the place of a white cat was a puppy with tan fur. The child of Light ran over and picked up her partner's Rookie form.

"Salamon, talk to me!"

"I'm sorry Kari…I tried," Salamon groaned, her eyes open a fraction. Kari could only cry silently as she bled and looked up to see the Guardromon aiming their guns at her, but they didn't fire. Kari could run, but she felt if she ran, the Guardromon would immediately fire on her.

* * *

"Excellent," Ken chuckled at the sight. "This will be easier for when he comes. How much longer until he comes to Full Metal City, Wormmon?"

"A…a few minutes," Wormmon stammered.

"Good," Ken looked back at the screen with a smirk. "They won't be able to fight back any further, their partners are too weak to Digivolve again." He would enjoy what would happen to the three Digidestined, especially Davis.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

"TK…I know you have the Crest of Hope," Davis looked over to the blond-haired boy while keeping an eye on the Guardromon, that aimed but didn't fire on the two Digidestined. "You have to have hope that we'll get out of here with Kari. You have to believe that. Believe in Patamon, believe in yourself! I've learned that we should never give up, no matter how bleak things seem. All we just need is a little miracle." Davis reached into his shirt and showed his Crest of Miracles. TK, feeling fearful at first, swallowed his fear, realizing what Davis was telling him was what Matt told him when Angemon fought Piedmon. It was those words and that hope that allowed Angemon to Digivolve for the first time ever to Ultimate level.

"You're right Davis…there is always hope." Davis nodded, and suddenly gasped when he noticed his Crest was beginning to glow faintly. TK gasped again when he looked down and saw the Crest of Hope glowing underneath his shirt, right where his heart was.

"What…" TK asked as Patamon and Veemon suddenly began to glow gold and feeling energy flow back into their bodies.

"This…this is…!" Veemon gasped, recognizing the light in an instant.

"If only we had…more power…" Kari whispered, clutching Salamon to her chest. She wished she was stronger to help her friends. She wished Salamon was stronger.

And suddenly, a pair of lights, one pink and one gold, filled her vision. Kari gasped, seeing her Crest of Light appear on her chest, and her partner Digimon glowing gold.

"Salamon…?"

"Kari…I…I feel power!" Salamon gasped, her strength returning to her.

* * *

"Oh no!" Ken gasped, seeing the glowing lights. Out of all the lights, Davis's Crest was glowing the brightest. "The Crest of Miracles…it's glowing!"

"Then that must mean…" Wormmon whispered in awe.

* * *

In the city, Davis, TK and Kari's D-3s screeched loudly as their partners glowed brightly and began to change form. But this was not Armor Digivolution.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!"

"PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEMON!"

"SALAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GATOMON!"

"No way!" TK gasped when he saw Angemon and ExVeemon standing before him. "They…they Digivolved! And the Control Spire is still up!"

"That, my friend…is a miracle," Davis smiled, looking down at his Crest before looking up to his partner. "ExVeemon, go all the way!"

"You too, Angemon!"

* * *

"Gatomon, Digivolve further!" Kari said, hoping that Gatomon could Digivolve further. If she could reach Champion while in the presence of a Control Spire, then surely, she could reach the next level.

* * *

"EXVEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…PAILDRAMON!"

"ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…MAGNAANGEMON!"

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEWOMON!"

TK gasped when he noticed that not only did Angemon Digivolve to his eight-winged Ultimate form of MagnaAngemon, but ExVeemon Digivolved to a new Digimon. His body was now clad in green and black armor, a mask covered his face, he now had blue wings with his white wings, and hanging from his waist were two objects that looked like guns.

"Paildramon!" Davis said with a laugh. "You're still as badass as ever!"

"You know it, Davis!" Paildramon said with a chuckle. "Back me up, MagnaAngemon! It's time I cut loose after so long! DESPERADO BLASTER!" The guns flipped up and rested in Paildramon's arms. The cannons glowed brightly as they released multiple blue energy blasts. The blasts hit the Guardromon, breaking their Dark Rings and stopping them in their tracks.

"DESTRUCTION GRENADE!" A group of Guardromon showed up behind Paildramon and fired on him, but MagnaAngemon was prepared.

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" Drawing his sword Excalibur, MagnaAngemon drew a purple circle in midair that solidified and became a golden gate. The gate opened up and the missiles stopped in midair briefly before flying into the gate, where another dimension lay behind it.

"Nice work, MagnaAngemon!" TK said, still as impressed as ever by MagnaAngemon's attack. The winged angel was a last resort for the Digidestined, and right now was a good situation for this trump card.

"That's not all my attack can do!" MagnaAngemon smiled. Waving his sword in the air, MagnaAngemon's gate glowed brightly before the missiles it just sucked up flew out at the Guardromon, blasting them and freeing them from the Dark Rings.

"Woah!" gasped TK. "I didn't know it could do that!"

"TK, come on!" Davis said, climbing on Paildramon's back. "Let's get to Kari!"

"Right!" TK climbed on MagnaAngemon's back and the winged Digimon took flight to where they saw Nefertimon.

* * *

"HEAVEN'S CHARM!" A pink cross of energy flew from Kari's direction, and slammed into the Guadromon, knocking them off their feet and making them slide across the ground. The light faded and revealed Gatomon's Ultimate form, a beautiful blond-haired woman wearing a helmet like Angemon's, eight white wings sprouting from her back.

"Nice work, Angewomon!" Kari cheered to her partner, keeping a hand on her head to stop the bleeding. "Come on, we're almost to the Control Spire!"

"Just a moment Kari," Angewomon said, the feathers on her left glove turning to a bow as she created an arrow of light. "There's still a few more left. CELESTIAL ARROW!" The arrow flew from the bow, and struck a Guardromon in the distance, destroying his Dark Ring.

"KARI!" Kari's spirits were lifted higher when she heard her name being called out. Turning to where she heard the voice, Kari smiled big when she saw Davis and TK running towards them, MagnaAngemon and another Digimon flying overhead. Kari didn't know who the second Digimon was, but realizing he had dragon-like appearances, and given what she saw of ExVeemon, it was clear this was Veemon's Ultimate level.

"Davis! TK!" she yelled happily, running towards them. "You guys came back!" Davis picked up speed and reached Kari first, throwing his arms around Kari in a hug that the child of Light returned.

"Like I'd leave you here to fight this alone," Davis muttered, his eyes watering slightly. "I love you too much." Kari's eyes widened and she pulled back in shock.

"Davis…did you just say…"

"I do," Davis said with a light smile. "I'm sorry if it took me a long time, but…"

"Davis, I didn't mind the waiting," Kari said sweetly. "I was thinking that same thing over…and for the record…I love you too." Davis felt his heart flutter with happiness…until he pulled back and noticed the gash on Kari's forehead.

"Oh, my God…Kari, your head!"

"Good grief!" TK gasped, looking at the bleeding wound as well. "Where's Joe when you need him?"

"Guys, I'm all right," Kari insisted. "I managed to stop the bleeding for now. We need to focus on the Control Spire. We're almost there!"

"All right, but when we get home, we're taking you straight to Joe!" Davis insisted.

"Come on," Paildramon said to Angewomon and MagnaAngemon. "That energy boost Davis's Crest gave us won't last long."

"Then let's get to the Control Spire!" Angewomon went over to pick up Kari in her arms, but before anyone could move further, a loud THUNK caught everybody's attention. The Digidestined turned and gasped when they noticed a Digimon standing several feet from them. The Digimon they noticed was not a Guardromon, but a silver-armored Digimon standing as tall as Angewomon and MagnaAngemon. His armor gave off the impression of a shining skeleton, his left leg looking human.

"That's an…" Davis started.

"Andromon!" Kari finished, her smile coming back. "TK, it's Andromon!"

"Are you sure it's the same one?" asked TK, remembering the cyborg Digimon that helped the eight first Digidestined fight the Dark Masters.

"Andromon, it's me, Kari!" the child of Light said, slowly approaching the silver Digimon. "TK's with me as well!"

Andromon only stared blankly towards the Digidestined with his bright red eyes. TK gasped when he noticed the eyes, and Davis noticed it as well. An Andromon's eyes weren't red…they were brown.

"I have been ordered by the Digimon Emperor to terminate his enemies," Andromon croaked in a low, hollow voice. "And you are the enemy."

"What?" Kari gasped, backing away slightly. "Andromon, don't you recognize me?"

"I don't think he will, Kari," Angewomon said gravelly, seeing the problem. "Look at his neck."

Kari turned back to Andromon and narrowed her eyes towards the cyborg's neck, gasping when she saw what Angewomon noticed. There, on Andromon's neck, was a Dark Ring.

"No…" Kari felt her legs give way and Davis grabbed her before she collapsed.

"Easy, Kari!" Davis held on to his best friend. "We'll just break that Dark Ring!"

"No, we have to destroy the Control Spire," said Paildramon. "Andromon's Dark Ring is on a vital area. One wrong move, and he'll become a pile of scrap metal!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"SPIRAL SWORD!" Andromon's right hand spun rapidly until a beam of electricity appeared. Swinging his arm forward, Andromon fired his attack, but Paildramon stood his ground and swatted the attack away with his arms, the spikes on his gauntlets extending.

"STING STRIKE!" Paildramon charged forward and swung his spikes at Andromon, the cyborg Digimon blocking them with his arms. Andromon punched Paildramon back, but the dragon man Digimon regained his balance immediately and readied his Desperado Blaster attack.

"STOP!" Kari screamed as she ran forward. "Let me talk to him!"

"Kari, are you crazy?!" TK asked, looking at Kari like she had just become a Digimon. "He won't recognize us with that Dark Ring! How do you know he'll recognize us?!"

"Because he's our friend," Kari said firmly before turning back to the advancing Digimon. "Andromon, don't do this! We're your friends! Don't you remember helping us fight Machinedramon and Piedmon?" Kari wasn't sure how she knew the Andromon in front of her was the same Andromon. She just…felt it.

"Andromon…please," Kari pleaded again. Andromon stopped several feet away, looking down at Kari as if scanning her.

"Kari…be careful," TK warned her friend. Andromon looked up again, this time at TK. The scanners built in his eyes lay on TK. An image of a young boy suddenly flashed in his eyes with the words 'SAME HUMAN' flashing below it. Andromon stopped, wondering why the boy in front of him was familiar.

"Who…are you?" Andromon asked suddenly, his eyes focusing on TK. "You seem…familiar." TK gasped when he heard Andromon's question. Perhaps Kari was right and this was the same Andromon.

"Andromon, if that is you, then fight that Dark Ring!" TK encouraged the cyborg Digimon. "Don't let yourself be enslaved by darkness again!" Andromon continued staring in space until a red beam flew down and collided with his chest. Andromon staggered from the unexpected blow, looking up to see Halsemon fly down with Yolei on his back.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Sorry if we're late!" Halsemon said as the ground near Andromon burst apart to reveal Digmon.

"Hold still, you pile of scrap metal! GOLD RUSH!" Digmon's drills flew at Andromon, but the cyborg Digimon stood still as the projectiles bounced off his armor.

"What the…it didn't work?!" Digmon yelled in shock as Andromon turned his attention towards the yellow insect Digimon.

"SPIRAL SWORD!" Andromon released his attack again, this time at Digmon. The yellow insect Digimon yelled in pain as the attack tore through him and he flew off the ground, reverting to Armadillomon, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Armadillomon!" Cody gasped, running past TK and picking up his partner. "Armadillomon, speak to me!"

"I've never felt…that strong of an attack!"

"MACH IMPULSE!" Halsemon's wing beams flew at Andromon, but the cyborg blocked the attack with his arm before opening his chest plates.

"GATLING MISSILE!" Two shark-shaped missiles flew through the air and blasted Halsemon out of the sky, reverting to Hawkmon. Yolei screamed as she fell to the ground, but Angewomon managed to catch the lavender-haired girl in her arms.

"Are you all right?"

"Um…yeah, I am…" Yolei said, stunned at the beautiful woman. "And you are?"

"I'm Gatomon," Angewomon said with a smile. Yolei could only stare in awe as she was set down.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Yolei asked once she caught her breath again.

"He's an Ultimate level," Paildramon said in a low voice. "He's more powerful than Halsemon and Digmon combined!"

"Kari!" The brown-haired girl turned at the other familiar voice and saw Tai and Sora run to them with Agumon and Biyomon. Tai stopped right in his tracks when he saw Kari's wound.

"Kari, your head!" the brown-haired boy said in shock. Sora gasped, seeing the injury as well.

"Forget about that now!" Kari pointed to the cyborg Digimon, who was beginning to advance towards the Digidestined again.

"Andromon?!" Tai and Sora both gasped. Andromon stopped again when he heard his name again, focusing on the two who said his name.

"Who…are you?" he rumbled again.

"Andromon, it's me!" Tai said, looking at the cyborg in the eyes. "Tai!"

"Tai?" Andromon's scanners were on Tai this time. An image appeared of a younger boy that looked like the one in front of him. Like TK, the image flashed the words 'SAME HUMAN'.

"T…T-ai…" Andromon stuttered. The Dark Ring on his neck began sparking and Andromon yelled in pain, his arms spinning around as he walked forward.

"What's going on with him?!" asked Cody.

"I think Andromon's recognizing Tai, and the Dark Ring is trying to regain control over him," said MagnaAngemon, his sword held steady.

Andromon continued lurching forward, his arms spinning like saw blades, until he stopped right in front of Kari.

"Kari, get out of there!" Davis's warning came too late as Andromon grabbed Kari by the arms and hoisted her up.

"Kari!" Angewomon cried, preparing her Celestial Arrow.

"Don't!" Paildramon raised his arm in front of the female angel. "It's too risky. You could hit Kari!"

"Darn it…" Angewomon muttered angrily, realizing her partner was in a situation she couldn't get her out from.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri zen no Theme)

"Andromon…please…" Kari said. Despite her situation, she remained calm as she looked down at Andromon with a sad look on her face. "Please…don't you recognize me?"

"I…I think…I do…" Andromon groaned, the Dark Ring sparking around his neck. His scanners were now locked on Kari, and an image of a young Kari appeared flashing the words 'SAME HUMAN'.

"Don't you remember the picture we took together?" Kari pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. One lone tear rolled down off her face and landed on Andromon's eye. The cyborg Digimon gasped as memories from long ago came to him.

"Picture…" Andromon muttered as Kari's D-3 slipped out of her hands and landed on Andromon's shoulder. The light shining from it hit the Dark Ring, which began cracking apart.

"The Ring!" gasped Angewomon, seeing the effects Kari's D-3 had on it.

"It's like with our Digivices and Devimon's Black Gears," TK breathed in remembrance.

"Yes…" Andromon breathed. "Everyone…we took…a commemorative…photo…" The red world around Andromon vanished as his eyes returned to their brown color, resting on a familiar face in his hands.

"Kari…everybody," he said with certainty, placing Kari down gently on the ground. "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused, my friends." Andromon brought his hands around the Dark Ring around his neck, and with one jerk, snapped it in pieces.

"It's not your fault Andromon," Kari smiled sweetly, wrapping her arms around one of Andromon's own limbs. "You were being controlled."

"Yes," Andromon turned to the Control Spire. "This has been the source of the problems. But this ends now! My friends, let us combine our attacks together! GATLING MISSILE!"

"DESPERADO BLASTER!"

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

"SOUL BANISH!"

MagnaAngemon released a blade of energy from his sword and it flew forward with Paildramon's bullets, Andromon's missiles, and Angewomon's arrow, colliding with the Control Spire and obliterating it completely.

"All right!" the Digidestined cheered as around Full Metal City, the remaining Guardromon ceased moving as the Dark Rings deactivated. Sensing the danger had passed, Paildramon, Angewomon and MagnaAngemon glowed brightly and shrunk down. When they finished reverting, in their places were not Veemon, Patamon and Gatomon, but DemiVeemon, Patamon's In-Training form Tokomon, a white pig-like Digimon with feelers and sharp teeth, and a little yellow Digimon shaped like a cat's head with a small purple-striped tail.

"Tokomon!" TK gasped in surprise.

"We must have used up a lot of energy for one day," DemiVeemon said, leaping in Davis's arms. "Even Gatomon turned back into her In-Training form."

"It's been a long time since I've been in this form," the cat head said from her place in Kari's arms. "In this form, I'm Nyaromon."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Happy End)

"Hey Andromon, will the Guardromon be broken forever?" Yolei asked, looking around at the motionless robot Digimon.

"They will be fine," Andromon said, walking over to a nearby Guardromon and smashing the Dark Ring on it before extending a wire from his arm and into the Guardromon. "Their programming was rewritten by the Dark Rings, but once I finish reprogramming them, we will prevent the Digimon Emperor from ever reclaiming Full Metal City." Moments later, the Guardromon was moving again, walking towards one of his comrades and doing to him what Andromon did to him moments before.

"If that's all, then we should get going," Davis said, placing a hand on Kari's wound tenderly. "We need to have that head wound looked at."

"Yeah, Mom's going to freak out about this," Tai said, wincing at the gash. "Are you sure you're okay Kari?"

"Well, despite my head injury…I'm fine," Kari said, moving closer to Davis and giving a sweet smile that Davis returned. While the other Digidestined were happy that everybody was okay, Sora was watching the interaction between the two kids she considered a brother and sister with interest, before it suddenly hit her like a train.

'Oh, my gosh!' Sora said with a big smile, realizing what was going on.

"Guys, how were you able to Digivolve while the Control Spire was still up?" Tai asked, looking to DemiVeemon, Nyaromon and Tokomon with interest.

"Thank Davis for that," DemiVeemon said with a smile. "His Crest was able to glow."

"The Crest of Miracles," Davis showed his Crest to the other Digidestined. "It's been able to pull out a miracle in bleak moments, and the situation we were in definitely called for one."

"That's true," TK said, looking at Davis's Crest with interest. Whatever the deal was with Davis's Crest of Miracles, it was definitely not like the other Crests.

* * *

When the Digidestined returned to the computer lab, they received a shock when they saw Jun and Izzy sitting in front of them, the former trying to stay awake, and the latter looking annoyed, Tentomon sitting by his side.

"What the…Jun, what are you doing here?!" Davis asked in shock.

"I'm waiting for you, of course!" Jun said, now wide awake. "I was worried about something happening…" she winced seeing Kari's wound, "and it looks like something happened."

"Izzy, how long have you been here with Jun?" Tai asked. Izzy shushed him with his finger before motioning for them to follow him. The other Digidestined followed Izzy and Jun outside the school, where the computer genius turned to the Digidestined with anger and annoyance in his black eyes.

"Matt called me after he met with Jun. When I came here, I found Jun sitting in the room, with the computer still on, and the gate still open! Did you even think about closing the door before charging into the Digital World?! I panicked when I saw Jun in that chair. It's a good thing she knew about Digimon. Do you have any idea if it was somebody else in that room? They could have turned off the computer!" Yolei and Cody exchanged panicked looks, realizing they didn't think the situation through.

"One of you should have called me," Izzy continued, glaring at Cody and Tai. "I could have come with you and kept watch!"

"I'm sorry Izzy, but I only had time to call Tai and Matt!" Cody said with a slight bow. "Please forgive me!"

"Yeah, and I charged out when I heard Kari was in trouble," Tai said with an embarrassed smile.

"Well, I don't like being kept out of the loop!" Izzy snapped. "It wasn't until everything was in full swing that I got informed. I may not be as strong as you Tai, or as strong as other team members, but I have my own skills and I've had my own share of scraps that I've gotten us out of!"

"You'll have to forgive Izzy's rant," Tentomon said sheepishly. "He's usually like this when he misses his mother's dinner!"

"Hey, we're sorry!" Tai said, sighing in surrender. "I promise, next time we'll call you."

"Izzy, isn't this the part where you accept the apology?" asked Tentomon. Izzy sighed, knowing he couldn't stay mad forever.

"You're right Tentomon. I forgive you guys," said Izzy. "To be honest, I also wanted to tell you guys about something I found out about the D-3s and the Digital Gate."

"What about it?" asked Yolei.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch ~Koshiro no Theme~)

"Well, originally I thought the computer lab was the only place where we could access the Digital Gate," explained Izzy, "but my scans of the D-3 revealed that the D-3 is the key to the Digital World!"

"And that means what, exactly?" asked Jun.

"I think I know what Izzy means!" Yolei said, looking down at her D-3. "I think the D-3s can access the Digital Gate on any computer, not just the computer lab's servers."

"Correct, Yolei!" Izzy praised the girl. "Now we don't have to use the computer lab the entire time."

"That will certainly make it easier," Davis said, looking at his own D-3. "Anyway, let's get Kari some medical attention."

"And then can we go home?" DemiVeemon asked, his stomach growling. "I'm hungry!"

"I'll take this little guy home for you," Jun took the baby dragon from her brother. "I know how hungry he can get!"

"Yay!" DemiVeemon cheered as Jun turned around and ran back home.

"Yeah, let's get going Kari," Tai led his sister to Joe's apartment, Davis and Sora following with Agumon and Biyomon.

* * *

"You don't have to make dinner right now, Matt. Had I known you'd be out this late, I would have gotten something to eat on the way home," Hiroaki Ishida said as he drank some orange soda from a drink.

"It's fine Dad," Matt said, stirring the mixture in the stove. "I had some important business."

"Digital World business?" Hiroaki asked, looking over to Gabumon and getting a nod from the fur-wearing reptile.

"Plus, dating business," Gabumon added with a chuckle.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Nakanaka Umaku Ikanai naa)

"Gabumon!" Matt said with a red blush.

"Oh, you've started dating?" Hiroaki asked with interest. "Well, it's about time you saw some girls, Matt! I was starting to get worried! So who is this girl?"

"Jun Motomiya," Matt said off-handily, still wondering how he got a date with Davis's sister.

"Oh, that reminds me!" said Gabumon. "Jun called while you and your dad were out Matt! She said that the date will be at some place called Morielli's, whatever that is."

"Oh, great!" Matt moaned.

"What is Morelli's, anyway?" asked Gabumon.

"It's the fanciest Italian restaurant in town," Hiroaki answered, while Matt could only think to himself.

'Good grief! Jun's going to bleed me dry…I just hope she helps pay for the bill…man, I'm not ready yet for this!' Matt was so focused on the date he failed to notice a funky smell fill the kitchen until he heard his father.

"Uh…Matt? I think you should look down."

"Huh?" Matt looked and gasped when he saw the burning food. "Aw, come on!"

"I'll order some sushi," Hiroaki started dialing a nearby restaurant.

* * *

In the Ichijouji apartment in Tamachi, Ken's mother wheeled a cart with food and drinks to the door of Ken's bedroom, which remained closed.

"Ken…since you're busy, I'll leave your dinner outside," the woman said in a worried tone, wondering what Ken was doing for long periods of time in his room.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

Inside his nearly dark room, Ken glared at his computer screen, the only thing providing light in the room. His mind was racing with memories of what happened moments ago in the Digital World. Not only did Davis's Crest of Miracles glow and allow Veemon, Patamon and Gatomon to Digivolve to the Ultimate level even when the Control Spire was up, but Andromon was able to resist the power of the Dark Ring and broke it with his bare hands.

"To control Ultimate levels…do I need something stronger than a Dark Ring?" Ken asked himself, standing up from his chair and going to his door, pulling in his dinner while sneering down the hall where he knew his mother was before closing the door. Taking a few bites of his dinner, the raven-haired boy slid open his balcony door and stepped out in the night scenery, looking out at the city.

It infuriated him that Davis was able to beat him every time in the Digital World, but his anger gave away to confidence as he knew Davis's weakness: He cared greatly for his friends. And Ken would use that weakness against Davis in his plot for revenge.

"You may have been able to evade me before Davis, but the next time in the Digital World, no miracle will save you!" Ken said to himself, chuckling evilly. He looked up to a building across the street, and what he saw caused his chuckling to cease and his face to go from an evil smirk to a shocked look.

There, standing on the roof of the faraway building, was a dragon-shaped figure with red wings that shone even in the night, glaring down at Ken.

'It can't be…' Ken shook his head like crazy before looking up again, seeing no one on the roof. Ken breathed heavily, staring at the building for several more moments before running back into his room, closing the balcony door and sliding the curtain over it.

'It couldn't have been…Cyberdramon?'

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital African)

"Kazu's journal: It is now day five of our trip to a new dimension. We are still separated, and we have been following a stream to Primary Village ever since we woke up…and man, this island is bigger than it looked on TV!"

"Well, of course it is!" Rika sighed, interrupting Kazu's narration. "There's a big difference between TV and reality!"

"Sorry," Kazu said sheepishly. "I know I'm trying to help…but I think I'm screwing up like always. Isn't that what you say, Rika?"

"Kazu, you know I don't mean that," Rika sighed sympathetically, knowing Kazu was doing his hardest.

"Of course she does!" said Terriermon. "That's how she motivates everyone to do better!"

"You shut up," Rika said flatly to Terriermon.

"But he's telling the truth, isn't he?" Suzie asked innocently. Rika stared at Suzie with an expression that almost looked like she was bored, until she sighed.

"Look, I'm sure you're leading us down the right path," Rika turned her attention to Kazu. "It's just…taking longer than we thought, you said it yourself!" While Rika was talking, Guilmon began sniffing the air around him, his ears perking up.

"Wait!" the red dinosaur said, getting everybody's attention. "I smell something familiar…" Guilmon sniffed the air again for confirmation, and his face lit up with excitement. "I knew it! Takato's nearby!"

"That means Renamon's with him!" Rika gasped. Guilmon ran down the path where he picked up Takato's scent, everybody following him.

"Are you sure the directions Centarumon gave us were correct?" asked Jeri, going down a path with Takato, Renamon and the twins.

* * *

"Yeah, he said that if we go down this path, we'll hit Primary Village in a few days!" Takato said, very sure of himself. "Any time now…"

"TAKATO!" The goggled boy's face perked up when he heard the familiar voice.

"GUILMON!" he called back. "WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Story Ending)

"I'm right here!" Guilmon laughed, running out of the bush and tackling Takato to the ground. "I finally found you Takato! And we still have the bread!"

"Easy, Guilmon!" Takato laughed as Guilmon licked his face. "You're still as heavy as ever!"

"Rika," Renamon said, seeing her Tamer approach the group. "I am pleased to see you are okay…but is your sanity intact?" the yellow fox gestured to Kazu, Terriermon, Kokuwamon and Suzie.

"It is now," Rika sighed happily. "It's good to see you're okay Renamon."

"So that's almost all of us," Kazu noted.

"Yes, if I am correct, then Henry, Kenta, Lopmon, Betamon, Ryo and Monodramon, along with Calumon, are the only ones left to find," said Kokuwamon.

"Well, once we get to Primary Village," started Jeri, "we can…"

"YAY! I FOUND YOU, I FOUND YOU! I WON HIDE AND SEEK!" The cheerful voice caused all the Tamers to yell in surprise until they saw Calumon fly down to them.

"Calumon!" Jeri cheered, pulling the little Digimon into her arms and hugging him tightly. "Where did you come from!?"

"Follow me!" Calumon flew out of Jeri's arms and down a path that the Tamers went down as well, never letting the Catalyst out of their sights.

* * *

"Here we are!" Calumon cheered, gesturing to the scenery in front of him. The Tamers gasped at what they saw, and Takato and Kazu stared in awe.

"No way," Kazu spoke first. "It's Primary Village!" The other Tamers looked at the village in amazement, seeing that it was exactly like it was in the TV show.

"Finally, we're getting somewhere!" Takato said, looking around the village and seeing the Baby Digimon hopping around in excitement at the new arrivals. Although they didn't see Henry, Kenta or Ryo anywhere, the goggled Tamer knew it was only a matter of time before they were back together again, and they met the Digidestined.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Sun goes down)

Back in the Human World, Davis led Kari down an alley where they could have some privacy. The brown-haired girl had just had her head bandaged by Joe, and as she was leaving with Tai, Sora and Davis, the burgundy-haired boy asked if they could talk in private.

"What did you want to talk about?" Kari asked the goggled boy, though she had a feeling she knew what it was.

"Us," Davis said, getting to the point. "I want to talk about us, and what was said at Full Metal City. I know it may have been the heat of the moment, but Kari…I meant what I said. Ever since we first met, ever since you became the first person to accept me for who I was…I've always had a crush on you. But everything that was going on, plus a fear I had of ruining our friendship if my feelings weren't returned, kept me from telling you. But Kari, I'm telling you this right now…I love you. I love you more than anyone. You gave me courage to continue with the Digital World…and I thank you for that."

Kari blushed heavily at the praise Davis was giving her, and she didn't know what to say until it came to her.

"Davis, I have something to say as well," Kari said, her voice low before raising slightly. "When we first met, I was drawn to you because, while you acted like Tai sometimes, especially when it came to soccer, you were a different person. You never gave up when something was in your way, and you care greatly for your friends, especially me. Whenever I feel sad or down, or I need to know I'm not alone, you're always here. You're there for me when Tai or Sora aren't. I want to be strong like you Davis. That's one of the reasons I truly love you. Yes Davis…I love you."

"Kari…" Davis bent down, his face slowly approaching Kari's. "You're strong in your own way."

All was quiet as the two Digidestined's lips met in a kiss, their arms around each other. After a few moments, Davis and Kari broke away, looking into each other's eyes sweetly.

"I promise Davis…we'll save Ken," Kari whispered. Davis nodded and kissed Kari again, feeling more confident than he ever had before since he stepped foot in the Digital World again.

* * *

High atop a building, Ryo Akiyama watched the kiss with a big smile, showing his support. He always knew Davis had a crush on Kari in any dimension, and he was glad to see him finally make Kari his girlfriend.

"Well done Davis," Ryo whispered happily before hearing Cyberdramon's wings flap. Turning around, the Legendary Tamer saw his partner land in front of him before reverting to his Rookie form.

"Did Ken see you?"

"Briefly," said Monodramon. "I flew out when he was shaking his head. As far as he knows, he's seeing things."

"Not for long," Ryo said, his face grim. "The moment's coming Monodramon…and we better be ready."

"Right," Monodramon said, his face grim as well as he knew what his partner was saying. The moment was almost upon them…the moment two worlds would collide.

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

 **Davis and Kari are finally a couple!** **Anyway, yeah, I wanted to do most of the pairings during the first arc of the story, and Daikari was the first. I usually don't do romance much, and the pairings will usually not be up front much in the story as I'm a bit of an action guy. Putting that aside, we are closely approaching the big meeting. Next chapter...well, if you saw the show, then chances are you know what will go down next time. But the question is, what will be different? What does Ken have planned for Davis and the Digidestined? And will Ryo finally show himself?**

 **Next time: The Loneliness of the Digimon Emperor!**

END CHAPTER 10


	11. Chapter 11: The Emperor's Loneliness

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Before we begin, I'd like to thank those who have reviewed this story so far. I have nearly fifty reviews now. If I'm able to get up to sixty or more reviews on my story between this chapter and Chapter 12, then Chapter 13 will have a special treat at the beginning and ending. And the reviews don't have to be on this chapter alone, they can be on the previous chapters as well.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

In the futuristic area of Full Metal City, Kari was separated by the other Digidestined when the Guardromon in the city destroyed the Digital Gate. TK and Davis went back, and encountered a brainwashed Andromon. Davis's Crest of Miracles allowed Paildramon, MagnaAngemon and Angewomon to appear, and Andromon was freed thanks to Kari, and the Dark Ring, which did not seem strong enough to control the Ultimate level Digimon. Now, the Digimon Emperor comes up with a new plan…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Loneliness of the Digimon Emperor

After the adventure in Full Metal City, the rest of the week passed by without any incident. By Friday, three dozen Control Spires had been destroyed by the Digidestined, freeing a large portion of Server Continent. And the Digimon Emperor hadn't shown his face since the battle at the snow lands.

While Davis was glad he didn't run into Ken in the Digital World, it worried him that Ken's lack of appearances meant he was planning something big. What it was, he had no idea, but he knew he shouldn't let Ken fill his mind every minute of every day.

The burgundy haired boy had other things on his mind, the first being his childhood friend becoming his girlfriend. Davis was happy that he had finally started a relationship with Kari and the two Digidestined were making plans for their first date for next week. Davis's relationship with the bearer of Light definitely kept his mind off the Digital World. Tai and Sora approved the relationship, as they wondered when they would get together.

Kari's parents approved the relationship as well, since they knew Davis a long time and trusted him with their daughter, while Davis's parents were surprised that their son was able to get a girlfriend.

In addition to having a girlfriend, Davis also had soccer practice, which allowed him to vent out a lot of his frustration. The season was beginning in a few days, and practices had become longer and harder in preparation for the upcoming scrimmages. Almost every day after school, the boys' team and girls' team played against each other to try out new and faster tricks to score goals.

One of the newest moves Davis had in his arsenal was a sliding tackle he had been working on for the last few days, and this practice was the perfect opportunity to try it.

"Get it!" one of Davis's teammates yelled, watching one of the girl players run towards the boys' goal with the ball in her possession.

"AH!" Davis yelled as he slid on the ground, his foot catching the girl's leg and tripping her up. The girl yelled in surprise, falling flat on her face and allowing the ball to fall back to the boys, who scored moments later.

"Nice play, Davis!" Tai called to his protégé, Sora nodding her approval as well. The two Digidestined watched the game from the sidelines with Kari, TK, Yolei and Cody.

Davis laughed and blushed; he always got embarrassed when he was praised on the soccer field, whether it was his friends, opponents or family.

After several more goals were scored, practice ended and the coach called the boys team together, letting girls go off.

* * *

"Nice work out there boys," the coach praised his team. "Now that practice is done, I have an announcement to make regarding our first scrimmage."

"When is it?" asked Davis.

"This Sunday," answered the coach, who checked his clipboard. "And it will be against the Tokyo Youth Soccer Tournament champion, Tamachi Boys F.C." There were gasps and exclamations of surprise from most of the team, but Davis's eyes widened greatly when he heard the name of the team they were playing against.

"Coach, is that right?" the burgundy-haired boy asked for confirmation.

"Yes it is," said the coach. "I was surprised as you were, Davis!"

"Isn't Tamachi the team with that genius kid?" asked one of the players. "What's his name again?"

"Yeah, Ken Ichijouji," Davis said, a great look of worry on his face. The coach noticed it, but he thought Davis's expression was for something else.

"I know most of us may be nervous for a big scrimmage, but we can do this if we stay at the top of our game! So don't stay up too late, make sure you drink plenty of water, and don't break any limbs before Sunday, understand?"

"Yes, Coach!" chorused everybody except Davis, the anxious look never leaving his face. From the distance, Kari had the same look on her face when she heard the team they were playing against, and the name of one of the team members.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

After Davis changed out of his soccer uniform, the Digidestined gathered in the computer room, where Yolei sat in front of a computer and pulled up Ken's profile from Tamachi's school website.

"According to this, Ken Ichijouji scored 45 of the 60 goals his team made in the last tournament, earning them the victory," the lavender-haired girl said, scrolling down the page.

"…yeah, I heard about that," Davis said, his eyebrows knit in concentration. It surprised him how good Ken was in soccer. He was athletic, but Davis never knew Ken to be one to be very good at sports.

"That's twice the last record!" Tai said, looking at the page before Yolei pulled up another page. "And these grades look good!"

"It seems like calling him a genius wasn't an exaggeration," Cody noted.

"Do you really think you can take him on, Davis?" TK asked the burgundy-haired boy. "You seem anxious."

"Ye…yeah, I guess so," Davis said, breathing deeply to regain his composure. "Besides, it's…it's not about winning or losing. Every boy who plays soccer in Japan want to be like him. I guess the coach was right…I am nervous about all of this."

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," Sora said with a reassuring hand on Davis's shoulder.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Comical Gag)

"Hey, Davis!" Yolei called sweetly, standing up from her chair and pulling Davis's right hand into both her hands. "If you see Ken on the soccer field, can you get me his autograph?"

"What?" Davis asked, confused what Yolei was doing.

"I thought you weren't into younger boys Yolei," Cody said to the lavender-haired girl. "He's twelve years old, and you're thirteen."

"Oh, what's one year?" Yolei asked, looking at Cody with narrowed eyes. "There happens to be a three year gap between my parents, and my mother is the older one."

"How about you come to the game and get it yourself?" Kari asked, irritated slightly at the way Yolei was holding Davis's hand. Having a boyfriend would definitely take some getting used to. "And can you let go of Davis's hand?"

"Sorry," Yolei said, realizing she was making Kari slightly upset. "And I suppose you have a point. I could go there and get his autograph."

"Besides, we're all going anyway to support Davis," Kari said, motioning to TK, Tai, Sora and Cody as well as herself.

"Thanks guys," Davis said. He was happy that his girlfriend and teammates would be there to cheer him on, but it still didn't make that uneasy feeling go away…and Kari knew it as well.

"Hey guys, Davis and I are going to head out now," the child of Light took Davis by the hand and led him out the computer room. "I'll see you at home, Tai!"

"Be careful!" Tai called to his sister. Once Kari and Davis were outside the school, the two Digidestined went into a café to talk in private.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"Davis, I need to know…you're nervous about playing Ken, aren't you?"

"I am," Davis said, his body shaking like a leaf on a tree. "This is the first time we'll be seeing each other outside of the Digital World. And I still have so many questions through my head. What's going on with him? Why is he doing this?"

"You said Ken's brother died shortly after you fought Millenniummon," Kari said with a thoughtful look. "Maybe the depression got to him?"

"Maybe…" Davis muttered, "but I highly doubt that would have been enough to turn Ken evil like that. If he's being controlled, then we have to figure out what it is. But the bottom line is…I am nervous playing against him, and it's not just because of our history together. I've seen Ken's skills in soccer approve over the last few years. He may be in elementary school, but the way he plays…it's like he's a pro in an all-star league. I may have to mix up my strategies a little."

"Well, whatever you do, I know you'll do well," Kari encouraged her boyfriend, placing her hand over his. "You're a great soccer player as well Davis, and I know you'll take the fight to Ken."

"Thanks," Davis said with a big smile on his face and a scarlet blush on his cheeks. "Ken's gotten better in the last three years, but so have I!" The burgundy-haired boy began regaining his confidence, while thinking about trying to see if he could talk to Ken on Sunday either before or after the game.

* * *

In Tamachi, Ken Ichijouji had a nasty smile on his face as he typed on his computer, switching between the grid map of the Digital World and a website on Odaiba's middle school boys' soccer team. When he had received the news his team would be playing Odaiba Sunday, he was shocked and angry at first, realizing that meant he would play against Davis. But then his anger turned into joy, when he also realized this would be the perfect time to initiate his revenge scheme for everything Davis had ever done to him.

Sunday's soccer game would be the first phase of his plan. He knew Davis was great at playing soccer, but Ken himself had improved vastly in three years. His skills surpassed other players, and he knew when compared to Davis, Ken was superior in soccer.

The next day, Monday, would be his second phase. He had been combing the grid map for a good place to put a Control Spire. After much searching, he finally found a good area in a vast desert known as the Valley of Death. Ken chuckled at the name as he thought about what would happen there on Monday.

'Such an appropriate name of an area for my grand plan,' Ken thought as he began chuckling evilly. Finally, after three long years, he would exact his revenge on Davis, and when he was done, Davis Motomiya would be humiliated, broken and unable to continue fighting.

"You better get ready Davis…because I sure am!"

* * *

Two days later, and Davis found himself on the soccer field with his teammates, stretching his arms and legs to warm up for the game. The sky was a bright blue with no clouds, the sun shining bright. The stands were full of parents and children alike eager to see the game. Davis looked up from his stretches to see TK, Kari, Cody, Yolei, Tai and Sora sitting in the stands. The Digimon had come as well. Patamon sat in TK's arms while Biyomon, Agumon and Gatomon wore disguises and Poromon and Upamon were situated in their partner's laps. Jun had also showed up for the game, holding DemiVeemon in her hands.

"Go for it, Davis!" called TK.

"I'm rooting for you, and everybody else is!" said Kari.

"Don't forget my autograph!" yelled Yolei.

"Good luck, Davis!" added Cody.

"Do your best!" called Tai.

"You can do it!" said Sora.

"Kick ass, little bro!" Jun called.

Davis smiled at the encouragement, feeling much better now. Just then, a bus rolled up on the street next the flight of stairs that led to the field. A number of girls ran out of their seats and surrounded the door.

"Woah, what's going on up there?" Upamon whispered, being mindful to not let anyone else see or hear him.

"That must be the Tamachi bus," TK said. "And considering who's on the team, I wouldn't be surprised if the girls are waiting to see Ken Ichijouji."

"Oh, I can't wait to see him!" Yolei squealed excitedly as she squeezed Poromon, the little bird Digimon whining from the pressure. "I should go up there!"

"Please don't, you'll embarrass yourself doing that," Cody sighed. The doors opened, and the players began walking out of the bus and down the stairs, one by one.

* * *

Davis felt his spine and stomach trade places as he watched the Tamachi teammates climb down the stairs and to the bench where they would be for the game. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he saw Ken step out the door, and the biggest game of his life would begin. Just waiting for Ken felt like waiting for the Grim Reaper.

Once the last player left the bus, the doors closed and the vehicle drove off. Davis blinked a few times, his breath in his throat; he did not see Ken among the players at all. He felt relieved, yet worried about not seeing Ken. Where was he, and what was he doing?

"What's going on?" Sora asked in confusion, looking down at the team.

"It looks like Ken's not with them," observed TK.

"What?!" Yolei yelled, glaring at Cody angrily. "Why isn't he here?!"

"D-don't ask me," Cody said nervously.

"Why?!" Yolei asked again, this time squeezing Poromon again.

"Don't ask me, either!" moaned the small bird.

* * *

Davis, wondering where Ken was, paused from his stretching and ran over to the Tamachi team, getting the attention of two players.

"Hi…is Ken Ichijouji playing today?" the burgundy haired boy asked, seeking out answers.

"Sorry man, we don't really know," said one of the boys, who had red hair. "He's supposed to know about the game though."

"He's been really busy lately," said the second boy, his hair light brown.

"Oh…well, thanks," Davis said, his eyes staring down at the ground. So much for his chances to talk with Ken.

"Davis!" Tai's voice called out. Davis turned and ran towards his mentor, who had left the bleachers and was standing near the bench.

"Even if Ken doesn't come, they're still the champs," the brown-haired boy advised his protégé. "Whatever you do, don't let your guard down!"

"All right…" Davis sighed, getting his focus back in the game.

"Davis!" called TK. "You have a chance today to beat the champs!"

"Do your best!" Kari cheered for her boyfriend. "You can do it!"

"Yeah! Leave it to me!" Davis said, his self-confidence growing.

"Why isn't Ken here?!" Yolei continued griping and torturing Poromon, this time squeezing him like an accordian. "What did I come here all the way for?!"

"We're here to support my little brother," Jun said, glaring at Yolei with a hard look on her face. "So stop whining about Ken, watch the game, and shut up!" Yolei withered under Jun's glare and looked down at the field with a defeated look.

"Okay, I'll stay…"

"And give me Poromon," Sora pulled the small pink bird out of Yolei's hands and placed him on her lap. "You're hurting the poor guy by squeezing him like that!"

"Thank you…" Poromon sighed in relief.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Boku wa Boku Datte)

The referee blew his whistle, and the game begun. Feeling his worries slip away, Davis quickly took possession of the ball and tore through the field, passing the ball back and forth to different teammates. Just as Tai said, the Tamachi force was still a force to be reckoned with even without Ken. The offense was well-coordinated, and the defense was very tight; the moment an Odaiba player got the ball, a Tamachi player would get it.

"Any ideas, Davis?" asked one of the players. Davis looked around the field and decided for a new strategy to be used.

"Some of us will have to be decoys." The other teammates nodded and continued running through the field. When the clock came to the tenth minute, Odaiba had managed to score a goal. Davis beamed at the teammate who scored before heading back in the game.

As the end neared for the first half, Davis tore through the field and saw one of his teammates with the ball in his possession, and half the Tamachi players on his tail. Davis whistled, and the teammate acknowledged by kicking the ball in the air. Timing the trajectory, Davis leapt up and hit the ball past the Tamachi goalie's legs with a headbutt, scoring a second goal right before the whistle blew to mark halftime. Davis sighed, and looked up at the bleachers, shooting a wide grin to his friends and sister.

* * *

"There we go," Kari showed Davis a picture of the burgundy-haired boy headbutting the ball. "What do you think?"

"You definitely caught the moment perfectly!" Davis said happily.

"You look pretty cool, Davis!" DemiVeemon said to his partner.

"Thanks, but that's just the first half," Davis gulped down some water. "The second half is still up in the air."

"Yeah, don't go on the defensive just yet," said Sora. "They'll notice and take advantage of that."

"If everything goes right Davis, you'll be able to win," Cody added before the shrieks from an excited gaggle of girls filled the air. The Digidestined looked up to see the girls from before surrounding a cab, a single person exiting the cab. The person had pale skin and dark blue hair, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was dressed in a green and black soccer uniform.

Davis felt his blood turn cold when he saw who it was. Ken Ichijouji had arrived.

"He's here," Kari gasped, recognizing the boy as well.

"AAH! It's really him!" Yolei squealed in excitement. "In the flesh! Ken Ichijouji!"

* * *

Ken stopped down the middle of the stairs when he heard the girl's voice. Looking down, his eyes widened when he saw Davis and the Digidestined down on the field with their partners. He had only expected to see Davis, but some of the Digidestined had come as well.

Davis looked up to see Ken was staring hard at him, his eyes filled with rage, maybe even hatred. Davis didn't recoil from the glare however, staring intently at him. Kari stood off to the side with concern. The glare lasted several seconds before Ken's face became a cold smile and the boy continued down the steps and walked towards his team.

"Ken, there you are!" the Tamachi coach said, looking happy. "Glad you could make it!"

"I apologize for being late," Ken said simply. "I had some personal business to attend to."

"It's fine, it's fine," the coach waved him off. "I'm glad you're here."

The referee blew his whistle to signal the beginning of the second half. Kari ran over to Davis and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Try to take it easy," she whispered. "This isn't the Digital World."

"I'll try," Davis accepted a quick kiss on the cheek from Kari before heading out to the field. He went into his usual position, and suddenly froze when he saw Ken approaching him.

* * *

'Aw nuts…he's playing the same position I'm playing!' the burgundy-haired boy thought, feeling sweat go down his brow. 'This is not how I imagined things would go!' Davis could only gulp as he looked up. Ken's face, which switched from angry to amused in an instant, showed no emotion as he stared at Davis. The burgundy-haired boy breathed in deep, hoping he could make a quick conversation while the players continued moving in position.

"Ken…um…it's been a while, hasn't it?" Ken said nothing, staring at Davis with a blank expression before turning his gaze to the bleachers were Jun sat with the Digidestined.

"He's better in person than on TV!" Yolei said, squeezing Sora's arm excitedly and making the red-haired girl wince in pain from the tight grip.

"Yolei, stop squeezing everything in sight," Cody sighed.

"Good luck, Davis!" Kari called, hoping Davis could win this game.

"Fight for it!" cheered TK.

"He's just an elementary school student like you, Davis!" called Tai. "You can't lose!"

"I don't think you should underestimate Ken," Jun said, her face concerned like Davis's.

"We'll just have to see how good he is," observed Sora. Ken smirked as he looked back to the burgundy-haired boy in front of him.

"You definitely have good friends Davis," he said in a low voice. "It would certainly be sad if something…happened to them, especially your little girlfriend."

Davis suddenly felt a fire starting in him from his old friend's taunting words, and he glared hard at the boy in front of him.

"You know Ken…I was going to take it easy on you…but I've changed my mind…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Gekitotsu!)

The whistle blew, and Davis only took one step forward as Ken shot past him like he possessed superhuman speed. Ken received the ball from a teammate and he ran his way through the field, successfully dodging the other Odaiba players before kicking the ball into the Odaiba goal, finally getting Tamachi on the board. A few moments later, and Ken scored again, tying the score.

"Good grief, he's fast!" Sora gasped in surprise.

"This is going to be a slaughter unless Davis pulls out some new tricks," Tai said grimly.

"Did you see those goals?!" Yolei squealed again, going on about Ken. "He's amazing! Absolutely amazing, cooler than Davis! Oh, he's so dreamy as well, and…"

"SHUT UP, YOLEI!" Kari and Jun both yelled, causing the lavender-haired girl to shrink slightly and quiet down.

"Sorry…"

"The level is completely different…" Tai said, looking down at the field with a slight frown. "He's not elementary school level, he's like…an all-star for the youth league!"

"You're right…his moves seem different from Davis's," Agumon said, watching Ken score a third goal, pushing Tamachi in the lead by one point.

"He's seeing the whole field of play," observed TK, who saw Ken score a fourth goal. "He knows where his opponents and teammates will be at all times, that's why he can score easily."

Ken easily dodged another Odaiba player with the ball by his feet, confident as he prepared to score a fifth goal.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Teki wo Yattsukero!)

"Not today, Ken!" Davis suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, stealing the ball away and tearing down the field, kicking the ball back and forth. Ken could only look on in shock. He could have sworn Davis was ten feet behind him. Davis took the ball back and kicked it hard, earning Odaiba a third goal.

"Wait, what's going on now?" Biyomon asked, noticing the Odaiba players were now running around the field like crazy.

"They must be going for unpredictable plays now," Tai said, realizing what was going on. "I'm pretty sure that's a Davis plan."

"Let's hope it works," Kari muttered, biting down on her thumb nervously.

"Keep it up!" Davis called to his teammates as the score was tied 4-4, thanks to one of Davis's teammates. "We can do this!"

'Not this way, Davis…' Ken thought angrily, barking orders to the other teammates. The second half nearly became a bloodbath as Davis and Ken fought tooth and nail over the ball, having their teammates form tight formations and impenetrable defenses. Ken attempted to score again, but Davis got the ball from under his nose again, and scored a fifth goal.

"Damn you, Davis…!" Ken cursed silently, looking at the timer to see a minute was left on the clock. Ken gritted his teeth. If he could score one more goal in time, then the game would end in a tie, and he would not give Davis the satisfaction of a victory.

"Open the right side!" the dark-haired boy called to his teammates. "Defenders, raise the line ten meters!" Davis looked on to see the green shirts swarm around Ken.

'If I can find a way through…!' Davis quickly looked at the group, and saw a gap between two players' legs that looked wide enough for him to get through if he slid.

'Here goes nothing!' Charging forward, Davis dropped down one knee, his left foot outstretched. Ken paused at the goal to prepare a powerful kick, but stopped suddenly when he heard a familiar voice let out a loud yell. Turning quickly, Ken gasped to see Davis sliding fast towards him with no one to stop him.

"Damn it…!" Ken started to prepare his kick, but Davis's foot connected with his ankle. The blue-haired boy yelled in pain as he felt his leg cut open, and he tripped, falling face-down on the grass.

"No foul!" Tai cheered, seeing the ball roll away as the whistle blew to signal the end of the game.

Davis let out a yell of relief as he fell flat on his back. It was brutal, but he managed to beat Ken Ichijouji at soccer.

'No…!' Ken cursed as he stood up slowly, feeling blood flow from a cut on his leg that Davis inflicted on him through his cleats. The boy could only seethe in anger as he stormed over to the bench to collect his gear. This was not how he thought it would go.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri Zen no Theme 2)

"You did it, Davis! You won!" Kari cheered, running into Davis's arms and kissing him on the lips.

"That was great, Davis!" Tai hugged his protégé as well. "You definitely showed Ken!"

"But I think you were a little rough," Sora looked over to the limping boy. "It looks like your cleat cut his leg open."

"What?" Davis looked over and saw the blood as well. The burgundy-haired boy suddenly felt a bit of remorse. He didn't mean to be that hard.

"Oh man, I better apologize…" Getting out of the arms of the Kamiya siblings, Davis ran over to where Ken was. The blue haired boy had finished gathering his things and was now walking away from the field when he heard a familiar voice call for him.

"Hey! Ken! Wait a minute, I want to talk to you!" The young Ichijouji boy froze up hearing the voice and turned to see Davis. Ken's eyes flashed dangerously, but he turned around.

"What is it?" Davis faltered slightly from the hostile tone in Ken's voice, but he stood his ground.

"Listen…I'm sorry about your leg…and um, that was a good game you played…"

"Drop the act Davis," Ken said, his face sneering. "I know why you're here." Davis's face lowered into a glare of his own.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"You always were smart." Davis breathed before speaking again. "Why are you doing this Ken? What has gotten into you?"

"Like I said before, the Digital World needs to be balanced," said Ken in a flat tone. "But there's far more to this."

"What do you mean?"

"Like you don't know," Ken answered, his face angry before smirking slightly. "You may have won today Davis, but I suggest you watch your back…and keep your friends close."

"Are you threatening me?" Davis asked in a low tone.

"No…I'm warning you." And with that, Ken turned and left the soccer field, leaving a tense silence in the air.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"I have to admit Davis, that was impressive," TK said as the Digidestined walked home with Jun. "Not everybody can go toe-to-toe with Ken Ichijouji and win like you did."

"Thanks," Davis said, finding himself calm again as DemiVeemon traveled on his head.

"But you didn't get me his autograph!" Yolei whined. "I asked you if you could get me his autograph, and…MMPH!"

"Yolei, shut up already!" Jun griped, having taking Yolei's bandana off her head and stuffing it in the girl's mouth. Yolei moaned before pulling the cloth out of her mouth and stuffing it in her pocket.

"Anyway, that game was great," said Tai.

"Yeah, maybe I'll get chosen for Japan's National Soccer Team someday," said Davis, getting chuckles from most of the group.

"Well, you'll have to really step up your game then. That was a close game, you know," Sora noted, carrying Biyomon in her arms.

"Yeah, maybe…" Davis said with a slight laugh. As the group walked underneath a walkway, they remained oblivious to a single person watching them over the walkway.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

Ken stared down at the Digidestined with raw hatred on his face and in his eyes. His plan to humiliate Davis today during the game had backfired greatly on him. He knew he shouldn't have said that remark about Davis's friends and sister. He figured it would throw Davis off his game and enable him to win easily, but it lit a fire in Davis and _he_ was the one who suffered a humiliating loss. Not only did Davis beat him by one goal, but he also sliced his leg open.

But yet, at the same time, he also had a nasty grin on his face. Even if the first phase of his plan didn't go as planned, the second phase would still ensure his revenge on the child of Miracles.

'Tomorrow Davis…it all ends!' Ken walked away, unaware that someone was watching him, much like how he had watched the Digidestined moments before.

* * *

"It's happening tomorrow for sure," Ryo Akiyama said, looking down to at Ken. "We better be ready Monodramon."

"Okay then," said Monodramon, his eyes narrowed as he looked down with Ryo. Tomorrow…everything would finally change.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Guilmon no Theme)

"Please don't cry. Seriously, if you start crying, then I'm going to cry, and it's going to be a big mess," Takato begged a bawling Botamon. The Digimon Tamers were going about Primary Village, waiting for the final members of their team to arrive. Rika was on top of a building with Renamon, their eyes peeled for Henry, Kenta, Ryo and the Digimon with them. Kazu wandered around excitedly with Kokuwamon, taking in the sights of the brightly-colored village from the eggs to the trees. Takato, Suzie and Jeri were busy helping Elecmon care for the babies while Ai and Mako stood off to the side, watching with interest.

Takato whined as he slumped down on the ground. It had been like this for the past few hours, feeding the babies, burping them, cleaning up their messes, and getting them to sleep. He thought he could handle it easily. After all, taking care of Guilmon was easy, if Guilmon was a toddler with explosive power. But the brown-haired boy realized that taking care of Guilmon was actually easy when compared to taking care of a great number of actual baby Digimon.

"Come back here!" Jeri called as she chased after a floating Yuramon, a Punimon already in her arms after trying to jump out of his crib.

"Takato, this is too hard!" Guilmon moaned, a mass of baby Digimon swarming his red body. The red dinosaur got along well with the babies as the only things they knew were eating, sleeping, and playing. But even Guilmon was becoming exhausted from so much playing. "How does Elecmon do this by himself?"

"I don't know, but even I'm becoming tired," Calumon said, resting in a tree with a YukiBotamon on his chest.

"And I thought baby dolls were hard!" Suzie gasped, grabbing a Nyokimon that was bouncing like crazy. "How much longer until Elecmon is done with the food?"

"It's ready now!" Elecmon called, dragging a sack of food behind him. The baby Digimon cheered and ran over to Elecmon for their meals. Before long, the baby Digimon were all fed and resting comfortably.

"Thank you for the help," Elecmon said to the Tamers. "It's usually easy for me to take care of the babies, but with the Digimon Emperor's threat looming in the Digital World, it hasn't been easy for me as it was before."

"Hey, it's nothing," Takato said with a grin. "You've been kind enough to let us stay here while we wait for our last few Tamers."

"So you said you know TK and the other Digidestined?" Elecmon asked, remembering when he talked with the Tamers earlier.

"Well, they're well known on our world," said Takato, "but we've never met them before."

"That's why we came here," said Kazu. "We came here to meet the Digidestined…and kick the Digimon Emperor's ass!"

"Kazu, language!" Jeri chastised her friend as she cradled the baby Digimon in her arms.

"Well, anyone who knows the Digidestined and is willing to fight the Digimon Emperor is definitely worthy of being my friend," Elecmon said with a nod.

"Excuse me, Elecmon?" Ai asked, slowly approaching the red Digimon with her brother.

"Yes?" Elecmon turned to the twins.

"We were wondering if you ever saw our partner of this island," said Mako. "We also came here to find him. You see…Ai and I are partners to the same Digimon."

"You mean you're both partners to one individual Digimon?" Elecmon asked in surprise, looking down at the purple-rimmed D-Arc hanging from Mako's neck. "I've never heard of anything like that."

"We Tamers can be different from the Digidestined," said Rika. "So have you seen their partner?"

"Hmm, that depends," said Elecmon. "I've seen a lot of Digimon on File Island over the years. Who exactly is Ai and Mako's partner?"

"He's an Impmon," said Renamon. "He's a purple Digimon with red gloves and a smiley face on his chest."

"An Impmon?" Elecmon asked in surprise. The red Digimon thought for a moment before answering.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen an Impmon on File Island."

"Oh," Ai and Mako looked down sadly. Jeri, looking sad as well, wrapped both arms around the twins in a hug.

"Um…I know I shouldn't ask this…but how exactly is an Impmon a Digimon partner?" Elecmon asked with a curious look. "I've heard they're mischievous pranksters, and they can also become dark Digimon as well. He doesn't sound like someone that would be partnered to a Digidestined."

"That's because we're not Digidestined, you stupid rabbit!" Rika snapped, irritated at Elecmon's words. "We are Digimon Tamers, and I told you before, we're different from the Digidestined!"

"Yeah!" Jeri said with a slight frown. "Impmon may be mischievous, and he may Digivolve into a dark-type Digimon, but he's our friend! And he's not like the other dark Digimon out there!"

"And we love him for it!" said both twins.

"Besides, what about your type?" Kazu asked, looking down at Elecmon. "In our dimension, Elecmon are described as mischievous pranksters, yet you're taking care of a village filled with baby Digimon."

Elecmon thought for a moment before looking at Ai and Mako and then to the cribs holding the baby Digimon.

"You're right. I'm sorry…we File Island Digimon don't exactly have fond memories of dark Digimon…"

"Hey, you didn't know," said Suzie.

"Besides, you are right about Digimon being different from their species," said Elecmon. "A lot of Elecmon I know are mischievous pranksters, but I take care of the baby Digimon here. And there's one Elecmon out there who's actually a partner Digimon."

"What?" Terriermon asked in surprise.

"It's true," said Elecmon. "I remember when he first hatched from his egg as a Punimon. He always seemed like he was lost, wandering around the village and staring up in the sky. I didn't really know what it was since he was still a Punimon and couldn't talk much. When he Digivolved to a Tsunomon, he told me that he was waiting for his partner to return to him."

"Really?" asked Jeri, interested at what Elecmon said.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"Yes," said Elecmon. "He had been partnered with a human girl years before the Digidestined ever came here. He was also a bit of a fighter. I remembered the day he Digivolved into an Elecmon. A wild Cyclonemon attacked the village and Tsunomon refused to back down, calling Cyclonemon a coward for attacking babies. When Cyclonemon attacked, he Digivolved into an Elecmon and he managed to destroy Cyclonemon."

"No way," breathed Takato. "One Rookie was able to beat a Champion level on his own?"

"I was surprised by the power he possessed," said Elecmon. "Of course, he didn't get out the battle okay. Cyclonemon slashed his chest and gave him three scars. When I offered to heal his scars, he said he wanted to keep them so he could stand out from the other Elecmon. He then fashioned himself a sword for melee combat, and he left File Island on a small raft. I haven't seen him since that day." It was quiet once Elecmon was done, and the Tamers were surprised that there was another Digidestined out there. But who was it?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Li no Theme)

"We finally made it! We made it to Primary Village!" Kazu's head shot up and he turned to see his best friend Kenta walking into the village with Betamon, Henry and Lopmon by his side.

"LOPMON!" Suzie cried happily, bolting past the Tamers and scooping up her partner in a rib-crushing hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You…too, Suzie…" Lopmon gasped in her Tamer's grasp. "Ease up…on the grip…"

"Finally, it's about time Henry!" Terriermon flew over to his partner and landed on Henry's shoulder. "I came here a day ago with Rika and the others!"

"Sorry about that Terriermon, but the path was longer than we thought," Henry said with a chuckle. "Plus, I was looking around to see what was different between this Digital World and our Digital World…plus, Kenta wanted to see the sights as well."

"Yeah, I bet," Kazu chuckled, walking over to his friend. "So Kenta, what do you think of Primary Village? I bet it's everything you hoped it would be!"

"I'll say!" said Kenta, marveling at the sight of the multi-colored place. "I even ended up on the place where Greymon fought Shellmon!"

"And I landed near the place where Garurumon fought Seadramon!" said Kazu. "The trolley car was also there!"

"Well, I got to meet Centarumon, and I got to sleep in his temple!" Takato one-upped his fellow Tamers.

"Oh boy. They're in fanboy mode," sighed Rika.

"You know, you guys do remind me a little bit of the Digidestined," Elecmon chuckled at the scene. "They definitely had fun when they weren't fighting." Rika walked over to the other Tamers and looked behind them, as if expecting someone else, and she was.

"Where's Ryo?"

"Ryo?" Henry asked with a confused look. "Isn't he with you guys?" It was Rika's turn to be confused now.

"No, we thought he was with you. Ryo wasn't with any of our groups," said Takato.

"Do you think he ended up somewhere else on the island?" Betamon asked worriedly.

"If he did, then he should be fine," said Henry. "He has Monodramon...although given Monodramon's recent outbursts…"

"Help! I'm stuck!" The Tamers turned at the sound of Calumon's voice to see Rika's backpack hopping around upside down, stuff falling out and Calumon's little feet running around.

"Calumon!" Rika chuckled, pulling her backpack off of Calumon, the little Digimon looking dazed. "How did you get stuck in my bag?"

"I fell asleep on the tree, and I must have fallen out of it," Calumon said, remembering what happened.

"Oh, Calumon," Jeri giggled, picking up the little Digimon. Rika began picking up her things when she noticed a white envelope with her name on it, written in what she recognized as Ryo's handwriting.

Wondering how this got in her backpack, Rika opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. Her eyes went down, scanning the writing on it. By the time she was done reading, Rika had a look of surprise on her face.

"Rika, what is it?" Renamon asked her Tamer. Rika wordlessly handed her the paper, and Renamon read it, surprised as well.

"Hey, what's that paper say?" Terriermon looked over Renamon's shoulder and read the note written on it out loud.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"'To Rika, if you're reading this message, then I've already left File Island with Monodramon. You were knocked out and I didn't want to wake you up. So I wrote this letter for you to read. I'm checking out some things and I'm also planning to get the Digidestined together so we can all meet up. Take care of yourself and the others while I'm gone. File Island will be an easy place for you. I'll be back soon. Ryo.'" Once Terriermon finished reading the note, Rika began shaking slightly, her face reddening with anger.

"What?!" Kazu asked in disbelief. "Ryo's gone off to see the Digidestined already?! Didn't he think we wanted to meet them as well?!"

"Well, I think Ryo wanted to see them more than any of us," said Lopmon. "They are his old friends, after all."

"But is Ryo still in the Digital World, or is he in the Human World?" asked Kenta. "We don't really know if our D-Arcs can open the Digital Gate in this world."

"Shibumi said our D-Arcs can do the same thing as well," said Henry. "But he said we could end up in the wrong place if we did it in our dimension."

"So, are our D-Arcs now wired to open Digital Gates in this dimension only?" asked Takato. "Or can we still travel back to our dimension?"

"I'm not sure yet," said Henry. "It should be best to wait here until Ryo gets back."

"RYO AKIYAMA, YOU ARE SO DEAD WHEN I SEE YOU AGAIN!" Rika yelled to the heavens above. The Tamers backed away slowly, knowing better than to talk to Rika when she was in this mood.

* * *

Monday came, and throughout the school day, much of the students offered Davis their congratulations over his victory against Ken. Davis accepted them, even though his mind wasn't on the game itself, but what happened after the game. Ken's cryptic warning were still fresh in his mind 24 hours later, and he could only fear the worst. Last night, Davis talked with Jun and DemiVeemon, and finally decided today was the day he would tell the other Digidestined about what he was hiding.

Once the final bell rang, Davis headed over to his locker, where his backpack was as well as the slumbering DemiVeemon. As he walked, Kari came up to him and gave him a quick hug.

"Davis, I just met up with Tai. The older kids won't be able to come with us today."

"All right," Davis said with a nod. "The five of us can do it ourselves…but Kari, I think I should finally tell them."

"You mean you're going to tell them that Ken's the Digimon Emperor?" Kari whispered in a surprised tone. She had been told about Ken's threats, and she felt worried just as much as Davis.

"Yes," Davis nodded. "If yesterday was any indication, then Ken's definitely planning to step up his game. And that means I'll have to tell them sooner rather than later."

"All right," said Kari. "I'll go wait in the computer lab for the others. You get DemiVeemon."

"All right," Davis continued walking towards his locker and opened it, grabbing his backpack and opening it to reveal DemiVeemon, still sleeping.

'I swear, a train would run right by him, and he'd still be sleeping,' the child of Miracles thought, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and closing his locker, the computer lab his new destination.

As he walked, Davis could have sworn he heard footsteps behind him faintly. But when he turned, no one was there. Feeling uneasy after the third time, Davis decided to walk a little faster, but nearly tripped over his feet outside a supply closet. Gasping a moment to get his balance back, Davis was suddenly grabbed from behind, a hand over his mouth.

"HMMPH!" Davis yelled through the hand, his mystery attacker wrapping his other arm around the boy's waist, pinning his arms to the sides. The attacker opened the closet door, which was ajar, with his foot before dragging the struggling Davis in and throwing him to the floor. Davis's backpack slipped off his shoulder and rolled over to the side. Inside the bag, DemiVeemon stirred slightly, wondering what happened.

"Davis…what's going on out there?" The little blue dragon was unable to see outside or move out the backpack, as the bag was closed.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"Demi…Mmph!" Davis cried out as a cloth was thrown over his mouth and knotted behind his head. The goggled boy went to pull the gag off, but his attacker grabbed both his hands and pulled them behind his back, tying them together with rope. Struggling even more now, Davis kicked out with his legs, but the attacker managed to grab both his legs and bind his feet together with more rope.

"MMPH! DMM-VMMNN! KRRMM!" Davis yelled through his gag, struggling on the floor before his attacker turned him over to look him in the eyes. Davis's eyes flashed with shock and anger when he saw Ken standing over him with an evil smirk.

"I warned you to watch your back Davis," the blue-haired boy said with a chuckle. "I guess you still don't listen sometimes, huh?" Davis yelled something, but the gag made it unintelligible.

"You don't have to worry about the ropes. If I wanted to, I would have made them too tight for you to break free, but I want you to free yourself. However, given how tight the ropes still are, it should be a few minutes before you're free. That's plenty of time for me to see your friends…"

Eyes flashing, Davis raised his bound legs and kicked out, but Ken backed away to the hall, so Davis only kicked the air.

"I'll see you soon Davis," Ken said, closing the door and leaving Davis lying struggling, tied and gagged on the floor. The burgundy haired boy began struggling to slip his wrists out of the ropes. Kari and the others were in danger, and he had to save them from whatever Ken was planning.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sunshine Smile ~Hikari no Theme~ #2)

Kari walked into the computer room, her eyes sweeping through the place for her partner Digimon.

"Gatomon?" she called out, opening several doors before finally finding the white cat sleeping on a shelf.

"Gatomon…wake up," Kari shook the white cat gently, and Gatomon stirred, her eyes opening slowly as she looked over to her partner.

"Oh…Kari…" Gatomon stretched and yawned. "Is school over already?"

"Yeah, we're waiting for the others," Kari picked Gatomon up off the shelf and placed her on the nearest table. "Davis is going to tell everybody about Ken."

"Good…it's about…time…" Gatomon yawned loudly, and Kari noticed it. Her partner had been dozing off several times the last few days, and she wondered what it was.

"Gatomon, are you okay? I don't think you've been sleeping well."

"I haven't," Gatomon said, looking down slightly. "I…I have bad dreams about…"

"Myotismon?" Kari asked with a frown. She knew her partner still had fresh memories of the evil vampire, despite them happening a long time ago. Kari still had those memories as well, and it made her blood boil. Myotismon had tortured and abused her partner in an attempt to make her evil, and he even killed Gatomon's best friend Wizardmon in front of her. The fact that Myotismon also hurt Davis made the feeling grow more intense.

"And Wizardmon…but it's mostly Wizardmon," Gatomon whispered softly, her blue eyes slowly watering. "I lie awake at night thinking about him, seeing him…die in front of me. They often happened every now and then, but now the last few nights…I keep having the same dream over and over again, and I don't know why! It was four years ago…but…" Gatomon trailed off and began sobbing softly. Before she ever met Kari and the other Digidestined, Wizardmon was the only Digimon who was ever kind to her, her first and true friend. And he died just to protect her.

"But the pain's still fresh," Kari finished sadly, picking up Gatomon in a warm hug, her own eyes filled with tears. "I know Gatomon. I miss Wizardmon as much as you do. But we shouldn't dwell on the bad memories for so long, and think more on the good ones. It's because of Wizardmon that you were able to turn on Myotismon and finally become my partner."

"And I'm truly grateful for that," Gatomon smiled sadly, moving out of Kari's arms and wiping her tears away. "I just wish he was still here. He could certainly be of help against Ken."

"I bet he would," Kari chuckled, walking away from Gatomon and looking out the window.

"Yeah…" Gatomon started before a hand suddenly flew over her mouth. Gatomon's eyes widened, and before she could scream, something hard hit her back. Gatomon winced, and fell unconscious from the punch.

"Still, I suppose everything will be okay…though I wonder if we can win this," Kari said. She waited for an answer, but received no response. "Gatomon?" Turning around, Kari gasped in horror when she saw who stood before her: Ken Ichijouji, an unconscious Gatomon in his hand and an evil smile on his face.

"Hello Kari. It's been a while. So…word on the street is you and Davis know something about me."

Kari opened her mouth to scream for help, but Ken ran over like a flash and slammed Kari up against a wall, his free hand over her mouth, muffling her voice. The child of Light could only shiver when she saw the evil look in Ken's eyes, matching the evil they had whenever he was the Digimon Emperor.

"I'm afraid Davis is going to be a little late," the young tyrant said with an evil smirk. "But don't worry Kari…I have a surprise for him, and you and your friends are going to be part of it." Kari could only shiver again, wondering what Ken had in store.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Tanoshii Hougako)

"Okay Yolei, you're not making much sense," Cody said as he walked into the computer lab with Yolei and TK, their Digimon partners in their backpacks. "What do you mean you'll be able to feel Ken through Davis?"

"At the game yesterday, I saw Ken place his hand on Davis's chest," Yolei explained. "If I touch Davis's chest, then I'll be closer to Ken." Cody, Poromon, TK, Patamon and Upamon could only stare at Yolei like she had just grown a second head.

"Okay…that makes no sense whatsoever," said TK. "Is she okay Cody?"

"Sometimes, I wonder the same thing as well," Cody sighed before heading over to the computer, his eyes widening when he saw the screen.

"Hey, somebody opened up the Digital Gate!"

"What? Who?" asked Yolei. "Was it one of the older kids?"

"I don't think so," said TK. "I spoke to Matt, and he said none of the older kids will be coming today."

"Then in that case, it must have been Kari and Davis," said Cody. "According to this, two D-3 bearers went through it a few minutes ago…and the coordinates of the area they went to are still punched in."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"Then let's go," said TK, his D-3 held high. "Digital Gate, Open!" The gate flashed and the three Digidestined found themselves in a forested area.

"I think we've been here before," Hawkmon said, looking around the area.

"All right, let's see where the lovebirds went off to," Yolei muttered. She reached into her pocket for her D-3 until a crashing noise caught everybody's attention.

"What was that?!" yelled Patamon.

"I heard it come from this way!" TK pointed to a path in the distance. "Come on!" The trio ran down the path with their partners, following the noises and crashes, and they even heard a roar and a scream that sounded like a young human male.

"That didn't sound like Davis's scream," Armadillomon noted.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Over there!" Yolei gasped, pointing to a clearing. The Digidestined looked over to see a human wearing gray clothes on his back, scooting away from a giant yellow Digimon with a brown horned helmet, and his right arm much bigger than his left one.

"Who is that kid?!" Cody asked in surprise. "I don't think I've ever seen him before in the Digital World! And who's that Digimon attacking him?"

"That's Cyclonemon, a powerful dragon Digimon," said Patamon.

"Wait, what's another human doing in the Digital World?" asked Yolei. "Is he a Digidestined like us? And where's his Digimon partner?"

"Worry about that later!" said TK, seeing the Dark Ring on the Cyclonemon's arm. "He's under the Emperor's control! Let's break that Ring!"

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLAPPING LOVE, HALSEMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"Yolei, get that kid!" TK yelled to the lavender-haired girl. "Cody, you're with me!"

"All right!" said Cody.

Cyclonemon roared loudly at the human that dared wander into a territory the Digimon Emperor ordered him to take over, blue flames beginning to gather in his mouth. The human gasped and raised his arms, realizing he had no way to escape.

"HYPER HEAT!" The flames flew forward, but Yolei managed to grab the boy and hoist him on Halsemon's back before the attack hit its target.

"Hang on, kid! It's going to get bumpy!" Halsemon flew up into the sky. Looking up, Cyclonemon roared out "STRENGTH ARM!", stretching his massive right arm like a rope. Seeing the attack with his peripheral vision, Halsemon turned around and fired his Eagle Eye to knock the arm away.

"Hey, your fight's with us!" TK yelled from his place on Pegasusmon's back. Cyclonemon turned to fire his Hyper Heat attack, but Pegasusmon countered the flames with his Equis Beam.

"Now Digmon, while he's distracted!" Cody yelled to his partner.

"ROCK CRACKING!" The fissure Digmon created caused Cyclonemon to lose his balance and fall into a hole he could not climb out of.

"Finish it!" called Yolei.

"MANE WIND!" Pegasusmon's hardened hairs flew down and hit the Dark Ring, shattering it to pieces.

"Well, that wasn't so hard," Armadillomon said once he reverted from Digmon. Pegasusmon landed and let TK dismount before becoming Patamon again. Halsemon landed as well to let Yolei and the other boy climb off.

"Thanks for the help. I thought this place was safe, but I guessed that guy was lurking around in hiding," the boy said, making everybody look at him. When they did, TK's face became one of shock, Cody looked mildly surprised, and Yolei's jaw hit the floor. There, standing before them with a soft look on his face, was Ken Ichijouji.

"You…you are…" Halsemon said in surprise.

"Yes, yes…" Ken chuckled, looking embarrassed. "I am Ken Ichijouji…and I happen to be a Digidestined like you." The three humans and their partners looked in shock before yelling all together, " **WHAT?!** "

(Play Digimon Adventure: Bokutachi, Digimon!)

"Yes…look," Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object, holding it up for everybody to see. There, in his hands was a white D-3 with purple grips.

"You…Digi…" Yolei stammered before collapsing on the ground.

"Is she okay?!" Ken asked, startled at Yolei's sudden collapse.

"Yeah, she's fine," Cody said, two fingers on Yolei's neck, checking for a pulse. "She just fainted."

"You're really a Digidestined?!" TK said in surprise. "But where's your partner?" Ken frowned slightly at the question.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him much since the Digimon Emperor began taking over. I've been coming here as much as I could. I usually go to safe areas with no Control Spires, but that Cyclonemon was unexpected. My next place was going to be the Valley of Death."

"The Valley of Death?!" Patamon asked in surprise. "That's practically the middle of nowhere!"

"But there have been Digimon in that place before," said Ken. "And my partner does enjoy the heat a lot."

"Then if that's true, maybe we should come with you," said TK. "You look like you could certainly use some help."

"Well…" Ken said hesitantly. "I've been mostly doing this by myself…but, seeing how I was just attacked, I think some help couldn't hurt. I'd definitely appreciate the help, TK."

"You know my name?!" TK asked in surprise.

"Yes," Ken said with a nod. "I know all of you. You're Cody Hida, and you're Yolei Inoue." It took everything in Yolei's body to not faint again when she heard her secret crush say her full name. Ken looked at Yolei with a small smile. "I have to admit Yolei, you're cute. And I like your hair. Lavender happens to be my favorite color."

"I…uh..blah…" the lavender-haired girl was at a loss for words. Not only did Ken call her cute, but her hair color also happened to be his favorite color. It felt like she was in a dream.

"I apologize," Cody said with a bow. "She's…a little crazy about you."

"Her and nearly every teenage girl in Japan, though I doubt most of them are like Yolei," Ken said with a chuckle. "Anyway, let's get going to the Valley of Death, and I'll tell you a little bit more about me."

"Okay then," TK nodded. "It's good to have another Digidestined on board."

"Yes…very good indeed…" Ken whispered so no one could hear him.

"Wait a minute!" said Cody. "Shouldn't we wait for Davis and Kari?"

"Oh, right!" said Yolei. "Maybe we should send them a message and tell them to meet us at the Valley of Death."

"I can do it," said Ken, pulling out an object that the other three Digidestined recognized as a D-Terminal. "What's Davis's e-mail address?"

"Right here," Yolei showed the address to Ken, who copied it down before beginning to type his message. As Ken typed, Cody couldn't help but feel something uneasy about the situation.

"Yolei, TK? Can we talk for a minute, just the three of us?"

"Sure," TK turned to the blue-haired boy. "Ken, do you mind if we…?"

"Not at all," Ken nodded before continuing his message. The inheritor of Love and the bearer of Hope walked over to Cody, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Is something wrong?" asked Yolei.

"Yes," said Cody. "Don't you think this is strange in any way? Ken Ichijouji suddenly appears before us in the Digital World and reveals he's a Digidestined and he has a D-3 of his own. Before today, we didn't know someone else besides us and the Digimon Emperor had a D-3, and if Ken is a Digidestined, then why didn't he tell us yesterday at the soccer game?"

"Well, he did seem upset about losing," Yolei muttered. "Maybe he wasn't in the mood to talk. He didn't seem like he wanted to talk with Davis."

"Maybe, but if Ken's been a Digidestined as long as we have, then why did he never contact us?" asked Cody, his eyes flitting back to Ken, who had finished typing a message to Davis and placed his D-Terminal back in his pocket. "Why wait until now to reveal himself?"

"Well, we can ask him on the way," said TK. "If Ken's partner is in trouble, then it's our job as Digidestined to get them back together. I don't know about you, but I'm going to go help Ken."

"Count me in too!" Yolei added quickly. Cody still looked uneasy, but realizing he was outnumbered, the young boy sighed and relented.

"All right…I guess I'll come along as well."

"Then let's fly!" said Yolei, her face one of excitement. "Ken can ride with me on Halsemon!"

'Something's not right…' Cody thought gravelly as he climbed on Pegasusmon before helping Armadillomon up. Halsemon and Pegasusmon took off once their passengers were on their backs. After several minutes of flying, Ken pointed down to a desert.

"There! That's the Valley of Death!"

"Let's pull down then!" said TK. Pegasusmon and Halsemon landed, letting their passengers off before De-Digivolving.

* * *

"So this is the Valley of Death," Yolei looked around to see sand everywhere, with small mountains poking out of the ground like a monster's fangs. The only sound that filled the area was the howling wind of the desert.

"It doesn't look like much," TK said, looking over the desert. "Ken, are you sure your partner is here?"

"Maybe," said Ken. "This was the next stop on my search. But it really looks empty…"

"Wait a minute!" Armadillomon gasped, looking closer in the distance. "Look there!" Everybody followed Armadillomon's gaze, and gasped when they saw a familiar black shape in the distance.

"That's a Control Spire!" said Patamon.

"That means the Digimon Emperor has taken over this place!" said Hawkmon. "But why place a Control Spire in the middle of nowhere?"

"It could be there for any reason," said Ken. "The Emperor could be planning an expansion and he's starting there, or it could be a trap."

"Well, one thing's for sure, we can't ignore the spire," said TK. "We need to take it down!"

"That's a good idea," said Ken. "But I think we should walk there. The Emperor may have flying Digimon in the skies, ready to attack."

"Let's go then," TK began walking through the desert with Ken by his side and Patamon on his head. Cody and Yolei followed close by with their partners, the former still having questions run through his head. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

"So Ken…if you are a Digidestined, then how come we've never heard of it?"

"I live in Tamachi," said Ken. "It's a little bit away from Odaiba."

"Still, you could have contacted us and told us," said Cody. "We didn't know you were a Digidestined." Ken stopped in his tracks, and looked at Cody with a mild look of surprise in his eyes.

"I'm surprised you're just finding out now about me. After all, Davis knows about me."

"What?!" Yolei gasped in shock. "You and Davis know each other?!"

"Yes," Ken nodded before turning around and looking down at the ground. The genius boy walked several steps away from the Digidestined before stopping. "I became a Digidestined three years ago, the same time Davis Motomiya became a Digidestined." TK gasped upon hearing this information, and Davis's story from last month came back to him.

"The third Digidestined that helped Davis and Ryo fight Millenniummon…it was you!"

"Yes," Ken still looked away from the Digidestined.

"Wait, who's Ryo?" asked a confused Yolei. "And who's Millenniummon?"

"Millenniummon was a very powerful, very dangerous Digimon that threatened the Digital World twice," explained Ken, looking up at the sky now. "Both times, a teenage boy named Ryo Akiyama fought Millenniummon. The first time it was with TK, Kari and the older Digidestined. And the second time, it was with me and Davis."

"Wow!" Yolei said, amazed at the story. "You once saved the Digital World?"

"Yes…but Ryo disappeared in another dimension and I never saw him again," Ken said, looking down at the sandy ground. His voice soon took on a sad tone. "And I never saw Davis again after we returned home. The soccer game yesterday…it was the first time in three years we were face to face with each other."

"But why didn't Davis tell us about you?" asked Cody. Ken stayed quiet as he looked around at Cody, a light glare on his face.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Samayoi no Mori)

"He obviously doesn't trust anybody," said the boy genius. "After we returned home, I tried to stay in contact with Davis, but the boy I considered my best friend refused to talk to me, he refused to acknowledge me. Even when I lost someone close to me, Davis didn't offer me any comfort. He abandoned me!" As Ken spoke, his glare became harder and harder until his face became menacing, his eyes gleaming dangerously. TK, Yolei, Cody and their Digimon were startled at Ken's change in personality.

"Wait a minute, I don't think Davis seems like the type of guy to abandon somebody," said TK.

"Does he, TK?" Ken asked in a low tone that sent shivers up everybody's spine. "I thought the same thing you did, but I was wrong. That day, Ken Ichijouji died! I became somebody new! I vowed revenge on Davis, and now…that day has come!"

"What?!" Yolei asked, shocked at what Ken was saying. "Ken, what do you mean?" Ken breathed deeply, and his angry expression went away. He looked down for all of two seconds before looking up again. His face was set in a sinister smirk as he held out his D-3.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked with a chuckle. "You see…" the D-3 beeped and changed into a pitch black color and a dark aura surrounded Ken. When the aura faded, Ken's hair was spike up and he was dressed in a uniform that caused the other Digidestined to gasp in shock and horror.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"I am the Digimon Emperor!"

"Oh, god!" TK gasped. Before the Digidestined could react, the ground shook violently and burst apart around the Digidestined, revealing five Tyrannomon with Dark Rings on their waists. A loud screeching came from the air, and five blue dragon Digimon with long serpentine bodys and red wings dropped down from the sky, Dark Rings on their waists. Stingmon dropped down from the sky and landed next to his partner Ken.

"It's a trap!" gasped Cody, "and Davis and Kari aren't here!"

"Oh, Davis will come soon," Ken said, walking over to a nearby rock. "I sent him a message telling him about this little trap you idiots have fallen into. And as for Kari…" Ken pressed a button on his silver wristband, and the rock faded away to reveal Kari kneeling in the sand. The child of Light was bound with rope and a cloth was tied over her mouth, gagging her. Next to her was Gatomon, also bound and gagged.

"…she's right here!"

"Kari!" the other Digidestined gasped at what they saw.

"We need to Armor Digivolve and fast!" said Patamon.

"Gotcha!" said TK.

"I don't think so!" Raising his whip and snapping it in the air, Ken summoned six Bakemon that appeared out of thin air and around the Digidestined.

"ZOMBIE CLAW!" The Bakemon sent out blue arms from underneath their cloths. The Digidestined, caught off guard by the ambush, yelled in pain as the fists collided with them, knocking them out cold.

"Excellent, Bakemon!" Ken said with a slow clap. "Tie them up and take them to the mesa!" The Bakemon nodded and moments later, TK, Patamon, Yolei, Hawkmon, Cody and Armadillomon were tied up and gagged like Kari and Gatomon.

"I'm sure Davis will certainly love this trap, wouldn't you say Kari?" Ken asked in a mocking tone. Kari could only glare at Ken while growling through her gag.

"It's a pity," he sighed, looking over at Yolei's unconscious body. "I really do like her...she is cute."

* * *

In the supply closet, Davis continued struggling with the ropes binding his wrists and ankles together. As Ken had said before, the knots weren't tight enough to be inescapable, but tight enough to hold him long enough to get to his friends. The fact that the others could be in very grave danger only doubled Davis's efforts to free himself.

'Come on…come on…' Davis pulled his wrists apart again, and suddenly felt relief when he felt the ropes fall off his wrists.

'Finally!' the burgundy-haired boy thought as he quickly untied his feet and pulled the gag off his mouth. Grabbing his backpack, Davis opened it up and allowed DemiVeemon to jump out.

"Davis, what happened?" asked the little dragon Digimon. "I thought I heard Ken's voice."

"Ken was here," confirmed Davis. "He tied me up and went to see the others."

"Oh, no!" DemiVeemon gasped. "They could be in danger if Ken tells them he's the Digimon Emperor!" The sound of beeping suddenly filled the room. Looking into his backpack again, Davis saw that it was coming from his D-Terminal. An uneasy feeling built up in him as he took his D-Terminal out of his backpack and opened it up. The message he saw was anything but reassuring.

Davis, if you have freed yourself by now, then meet me at the Valley of Death, or else you'll be making funeral plans for your friends – Ken.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

Davis's blood ran cold; his old friend was actually threatening the lives of his teammates if he didn't meet him. He didn't want to believe it, but seeing the cold look in Ken's eyes and the evil smile on his face made him realize that Ken wasn't playing around.

"Come on DemiVeemon!" Davis said, grabbing his partner and kicking open the door to the supply closet. Breaking into a sprint, Davis was at the computer lab in a matter of seconds and had a Digital Gate to the Valley of Death opened.

"Digital Gate open!" The light flashed upon Davis's command, and moments later, Davis and Veemon were in a massive field of sand.

"So this is the Valley of Death…" Davis said, feeling uneasy as he looked around the creepy place.

"Don't freeze up Davis, we need to find Ken and the others," Veemon said, a hand on Davis's leg.

"Did someone say my name?" a familiar voice caused both human and Digimon to freeze up.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Davis yelled angrily.

"No need to yell Davis, I'm not far from here," Ken's voice rang out again. "Come and see for yourself at the Control Spire." That was all Davis needed to hear as he broke into another sprint, this time towards the Control Spire. Davis and Veemon were entirely focused on the Spire in front of them, they failed to notice two figures trailing right behind them, keeping a good distance from them.

* * *

Davis and Veemon continued sprinting towards the Control Spire but suddenly came to a sudden halt as they saw what was in front of them. A large mesa rose up in front of them, the Control Spire standing behind Ken, who was standing on the edge of the mesa and clad in his Digimon Emperor clothes. What really brought Davis and Veemon to a halt wasn't the mesa, but rather a number of Digimon that were surrounding the area. Five Airdramon flew above Ken and Stingmon, who stood next to his partner, and five Tyrannomon stood at the bottom of the mesa. Davis could only pale as he realized he ran smack-dab into a trap.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi)

"I wonder Davis," Ken said with a chuckle, "will you ever consider the possibility of a trap?"

"Save me the theatrics Ken," Davis said in a low growl. "What did you do to my friends?!"

"Look to your left," Ken said simply. Davis and Veemon turned their heads left and their breaths snagged. A bridge jutted from the mesa, and dangling underneath the bridge were, from left to right, Yolei, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Cody, TK, Patamon, Gatomon and Kari, all of them bound and gagged. Despite the gags, they tried to talk to Davis, their words muffled.

"This just isn't your day, is it old friend?" Ken asked with a smile that had triumph spelled on it. Davis could only glare up at the indigo-haired boy, feeling sick to his stomach. He had no idea what could have caused Ken to do something like this, and he planned to get to the bottom of it.

"So…you told them," Davis said to Ken, jerking his head to his trapped friends. "You told them who you are."

"I have," Ken said as he removed his shades, looking down at Davis with his pale-blue eyes. Davis had to suppress a shudder as he saw a coldness in Ken's eyes that he never saw before.

"Why Ken?" Davis asked, getting to the point. "Why are you doing this, all of this? The Control Spires…the Dark Rings…this isn't you."

"It wasn't me," Ken said sourly. "But after our second battle, I realized the Digital World needed proper order to ensure it could never fall in chaos ever again. The Digimon Sovereigns were unable to prevent Apocalymon and Millenniummon from happening, and who knows what else they would have been unable to prevent!"

"You think you can bring order to the Digital World Ken?" Veemon asked skeptically.

"Of course I can!" Ken replied sharply. "I've seen the dark side of Digimon; thieves and bandits and the like, any one of them could be the next Apocalymon, the next Dark Masters! And I have seen the dark side of humanity as well, especially when YOU ABANDONED ME!" The last part was yelled out, shocking Davis.

"A…abandoned you?" asked the goggled boy. "Ken, what are you…"

"There's more to this as well Davis," Ken growled at Davis. "I knew you'd come eventually to try and stop me, so I knew it would be a perfect opportunity for me to have revenge on you for abandoning me for two years!"

"Ken, what are you talking about?" Confusion had now replaced all of Davis's other emotions for now. "I never abandoned…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"YES, YOU DID!" Ken roared at the top of his lungs. "Two weeks after our last battle together with Ryo against Millenniummon, I lost my brother Sam! He was hit by a car and he died! Do you have any idea of the pain I felt when he died? I thought I could find comfort in you Davis, as my parents were devastated as I was over Sam's death, but what happened? What happened Davis?" Davis opened his mouth to answer, but his throat felt try as he thought back to that awful day. He heard a small news report that a boy named Sam Ichijouji had died in an automobile accident. The burgundy-haired boy was shocked when he realized it was Ken's brother. The other Digidestined were shocked as well from Ken's outburst.

"I'll tell you what happened," Ken said, snapping Davis out of his thoughts. "Nothing happened. I tried to get in touch with you, but you never talked to me. You never called, you never wrote. No…you were still moping over Veemon, who is a Digimon and was reborn after dying! Sam on the other hand…he's dead. He's gone for good, and he can't be brought back! And I couldn't go to Ryo, because he vanished fighting Millenniummon! I was alone, abandoned by someone who was my first best friend! Why did you leave me, Davis?! I'll tell you why…you were selfish. You were only thinking about yourself and you were wallowing in your own misery over someone who's virtually immortal!" At this point, Davis had felt like someone had just hit him in the gut as the air had just left him. He had no idea how much Ken was hurting from Sam's death. Davis tried to think of a counter-argument, but he couldn't. Ken was right about everything. He knew Veemon would be reborn, but he was still traumatized over seeing him die. He was so lost in his own sadness, he failed to notice Ken, whose loss was worse than his.

"All the years of misery…it ends today Davis. Today I shall have my revenge! Deltamon, show yourself!" Ken raised his right arm and gestured to the bridge the other Digidestined were hanging under. A cliff behind the bridge burst apart to reveal a giant purple dinosaur with two tails, bulging muscles and razor-sharp fangs. Where his hands were supposed to be were two heads; the left one was a dragon skull, while the right one was a mechanical dragon's head. A Dark Ring was wrapped around his waist. Davis could only pale at the sight of a Digimon; he remembered fighting a Deltamon before, and it was an extremely tough Digimon for a Champion level.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Zetsubou)

"You came at a very bad time Davis," Ken continued once Deltamon was positioned underneath the bound Digidestined, who now all had looks of fear on their faces. "You see, it's Deltamon's feeding time, and I figured your friends would do!"

"No…Ken, what happened to you?" Davis whispered in horror, looking to his old friend before looking at his trapped friends.

"And if you think you can save them this time, then you are sorely mistaken!" said Ken. "If you try fighting Deltamon, Stingmon and my army will engage Flamedramon in battle right away on my command. I suppose you and Flamedramon could defeat them, but it would take you a long time and by then, Deltamon will have eaten your friends. And if you try to fight my army first, your friends will still die. I have you right where I want you Davis. So tell me, what will it be?" Davis couldn't say anything as he looked around again at his surroundings; from the Tyrannomon to the Airdramon to Stingmon to the Deltamon still under his friends. The leader of the new Digidestined could only grit his teeth in frustration as he realized Ken did have him stuck in a difficult place. No matter what he did, his friends would die today.

Then Davis realized another option. It was an option Davis did not like and did not want to do, but he knew if it could save his friends, then he would do it.

"Well Davis, what's your choice?" Ken asked with a vicious smirk. "Fight Deltamon, or Stingmon and my slaves?" What Davis did next shocked everyone.

"That's enough Ken," the burgundy-haired boy said as he suddenly dropped to his knees. "If you let my friends go, then I'll surrender myself to you."

"What?" Ken asked in shock. The other Digidestined were just as shocked as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi)

"I said I surrender, let them go," Davis repeated, looking up at his former friend. "If this is between you and me Ken, then that's how it should be. Maybe you're right, maybe I didn't pay enough attention to you and helped you when Sam died. I didn't know it would cause you to do something like this. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Ken, but I am now. I won't leave you again. Please…let my friends go, don't let them get involved in this any further…take me instead." For a minute, Ken's eyes softened at Davis's act of friendship, until they hardened again.

"Very well then Davis," Ken said. "I'll let your friends go…but they'll be left with the memory of seeing you and Veemon die! Deltamon, fire on Davis and Veemon! Use your Triplex Force!" Deltamon roared loudly and aimed his three heads at Davis, blue energy gathering in the mouths before being released as one massive blast of energy. Kari and the other captive Digidestined screamed through their gags as the energy blast inched closer towards Davis and Veemon, who could only stand in fear as the attack prepared to hit them…

…until something ran into Davis's side, pushing him out of the way of the attack. Davis landed on the sandy ground with Veemon landing next to him. The attack soared past Davis and Veemon, hitting a boulder that exploded into dust and little pebbles. Groaning slightly from the impact, Davis pushed himself up on his arms and noticed a shadow standing over him and Veemon. Although the figure had his back to Davis, the young boy could only stare in shock at his savior. The other Digidestined, TK and Kari especially, were in shock as well. Ken and Stingmon could also stare in shock. There, standing protectively in front of Davis and with a determined look on his face, was Ryo Akiyama, his partner Digimon Monodramon standing beside him.

"R…Ryo…" Davis said the name in a whisper, Veemon saying Ryo's name as well.

"Im…impossible!" Ken gasped. "Ryo…you're…alive?!"

"I am alive Ken," Ryo said, pulling out his blue D-Arc and a card. "And I'm here to put an end to this murder attempt of yours. Monodramon, let's go!"

"Bring them on, Ryo!" Monodramon growled, baring his fangs.

(Play Digimon SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY!" Ryo yelled as he swiped the card in his hand through the slot in his D-Arc. "DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!" Davis, Ken and the Digidestined could only watch in awe from Ryo's actions, and even more when Monodramon began glowing and changing size.

"MONODRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STRIKEDRAMON!" The light faded, and Strikedramon stood, growling at the Digimon surrounding him.

"He…he Digivolved to Champion level!" Ken gasped, looking at the Control Spire behind him. "And the Control Spire is still up…how?!"

"Strikedramon, take out Deltamon first!" Ryo said to his partner. Strikedramon growled in acknowledgement and broke into a sprint for Deltamon as the metal plates on his body began burning blue.

"STRIKE FANG!" The dragon man, coated in blue flames, rammed into Deltamon and knocked him on his back, breaking the Dark Ring on his waist. Deltamon lost consciousness as a result of the ramming attack. Strikedramon landed on the ground and charged for the Tyrannomon. As he ran, Ryo pulled out another card and swiped it through his D-Arc.

"DIGI-MODIFY! HYPERSONIC ACTIVATE!" Strikedramon felt an extra burst of energy and suddenly became a blue and silver blur, ramming into the Tyrannomon one by one and breaking off their Dark Rings. The Airdramon roared as they flew down at Strikedramon, but the dragon man evaded the Airdramon, leaping off one's head before finding himself in the air. Ryo quickly pulled out another card, this one having a picture of a green parrot Digimon on it, and swiped it through his D-Arc.

"DIGI-MODIFY! PARROTMON ACTIVATE!"

"MJOLNIR THUNDER!" Strikedramon roared as he raised his arms in the air and brought down a number of lightning bolts that struck the Airdramon and freed them from the Dark Rings; the lightning also struck the Control Spire and disintegrated it. Strikedramon, still feeling the effects of the Hypersonic card, then moved to the bridge the Digidestined were hanging under and quickly freed them from their bonds, placing them down near Davis and Ryo before jumping up the mesa and landing right in front of Stingmon, who was shocked at the way the dragon man took down eleven Digimon in less than a minute. He knew Strikedramon was a powerful Digimon, but whatever those cards were that Ryo used, it made him stronger than he usually was.

"Well, how's it going to go down Stingmon?" Strikedramon asked as he glared daggers at Stingmon. The insect man was not sure what he should say, so he turned to Ken. The indigo-haired boy gnashed his teeth angrily. He did not anticipate Ryo showing up here at all. He thought that he was gone for good, but here he was alive and well. Ken knew that with Ryo here, his plans were shot now.

"Stingmon, get us out of here," he finally said to his partner. "This battle is lost." Stingmon, knowing the battle was lost the moment Ryo revealed himself, nodded and grabbed Ken before taking flight. As he felt his feet leave the ground, Ken looked back at the Digidestined with a cold look in his eyes, which were set on one person in particular. "Don't think your arrival is enough to change things Ryo. And don't think we're not done yet Davis." Stingmon then shot into the air. Strikedramon growled as Stingmon flew off, and began running after them.

"Strikedramon, stand down! Let them go." Ryo ordered his partner. Strikedramon stopped running after Stingmon and turned around, walking back to Ryo and reverting to Monodramon.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to just let them go?" asked the purple dragon.

"Our objective here wasn't to stop Ken, but rather to save our friends." Ryo then turned around and was instantly greeted with the sight of Davis, who was now on both feet and still had a look of absolute shock on his face. Veemon was shocked as well, and so were TK, Kari, Patamon and Gatomon, while Cody, Yolei, Armadillomon and Hawkmon looked confused about everything going on.

"R…Ryo?" Davis asked in a whisper, walking slowly to the older boy. "Is…is it really you?" He hoped it was him, and that this wasn't a trick.

"It's me Davis…I'm back," Ryo said with a warm smile, placing his hands on Davis's shoulders and looking him in the eyes. Davis stared into Ryo's eyes for a moment, before he finally felt the walls break down and tears filled his eyes. Sniffing once, Davis threw his arms around Ryo and hugged him, sobbing silently.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"It's really you…you're back…"

"Yeah…I'm back…" Ryo returned the hug, holding Davis tightly as he looked up to the bearers of Hope and Light, who were still staring in shock.

"Kari, TK…you're looking well."

"Ryo…" TK breathed.

"How…how is this possible?" Davis asked once he pulled away from the older boy, wiping away his tears. "How did you get here?"

"It's a long story," Monodramon answered for his partner. "We've been through a lot."

"I think we have a lot to talk about," added Ryo.

"I have to agree," Cody said, looking at Davis with his eyebrows knit in a frown. "Davis, Ken said you knew he was the Digimon Emperor for some time. Is this true?"

"…Yes," Davis said sadly. "I told Kari the other day…and I was going to tell you today…until all of this happened. How did you get captured anyway?"

"It was like this…" TK told Davis and Ryo how he went to the Digital World with Yolei and Cody, saving Ken from a Cyclonemon. Cody then proceeded with telling how they went to the Valley of Death, and Ken revealed himself as the Digimon Emperor, and revealed Kari as his prisoner, Kari telling how Ken kidnapped her and Gatomon from the computer room.

"…It was just so scary," Kari shivered, burrowing herself in Davis's arms, the child of Miracles offering some comfort to his girlfriend.

"I can't believe it," Yolei muttered sadly. "I can't believe Ken was the Digimon Emperor." Everything she knew had been nothing but a lie.

"I'm sorry," Davis said to the three Digidestined. "I knew I should have told you all about Ken…but it was just hard for me to do it. What would any of you do if your best friend suddenly became a tyrannical dictator?"

"Well…" Cody thought for a minute, but no good answer came to him.

"I think I understand," the young boy finally said.

"Well, now that word's out on Ken, we should tell the older kids everything," said Ryo. "And there's more you should know. I know what's wrong with Ken. I know what made him like this."

"You do?" asked Davis, perking up. "What is it, Ryo?"

"Before I tell you, I think we should call in Tai and the older kids," said Ryo. "They'll want to know everything."

"Yeah, they'll be surprised to see you again Ryo," said Patamon.

"Where have you two been, anyway?" Gatomon asked, looking to Ryo and Monodramon.

"Far from home, kitty cat," Monodramon said with a chuckle.

"Ryo, what happened to your Digivice anyway?" Kari asked, looking down at the blue device in Ryo's hand. "And what were those cards you used?" Davis blinked and looked down, seeing the device as well. He was so shocked seeing Ryo again after three years, he didn't pay much attention to the fight.

"A lot happened Kari," said Ryo. "And Tai and the older kids aren't the only ones that should know everything. You see, I didn't come alone."

"We brought some friends with us," Monodramon said with a grin, making everybody look at each other with confusion.

"What friends?" asked Yolei.

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 11

 **Ryo and Davis have reunited. Now they need to bring Ken back. And poor Yolei seems a little upset about Ken.**

 **The moment we've all been waiting for since this started is finally coming in the next chapter. The Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers will finally meet, and they will learn the truth about Ryo, Millenniummon and Ken. And what's more, the Tamers will have to live with the Digidestined during their stay in Odaiba. Who do you think the Tamers will end up living with?**

 **Next time: The Grand Meeting! Digidestined and Digimon Tamers**


	12. Chapter 12: The Grand Meeting!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **This is it. The Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers will finally meet face-to-face. And while they will get along in the beginning, Rika is not going to get along well with either Yolei or Cody, the reason being Yolei and Cody's refusal to kill real Digimon, as well as their personalities being the same in the show: Yolei as loud and annoying, and Cody being too strict and distrustful of most people.**

 **Now then...on to the meeting!**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

After losing a soccer game to Davis, Ken Ichijouji, the Digimon Emperor, executed a plan for revenge, kidnapping Davis's teammates and holding them hostage, forcing Davis to surrender. Before Deltamon could kill Davis, Ryo and Strikedramon arrived, the latter forcing Ken to retreat from the might of his power. When asked where he has been, Ryo says he has brought friends with him.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Grand Meeting! Digidestined and Digimon Tamers

"So you all got the message?" Izzy asked everybody in the computer room. Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi and Joe were also in the room, their Digimon partners by their sides as always. The older Digidestined had received a message a few minutes ago from Yolei, telling them to come to computer room immediately, as it was a very important matter. The message slightly annoyed some of the Digidestined, who were busy with other matters, such as Mimi and Matt, who had to leave their cheerleading and band practice respectively.

"Yeah, what's this important business Yolei's talking about?" asked Sora.

"I'm not sure," said Izzy, typing on his computer and observing the grid map. "I sent them a message telling them we're all here now. It's going to take them a few minutes to find a Digital Gate; Yolei said their coordinates are from the Valley of Death."

"The Valley of Death?" asked Agumon. "Why are they there? There's not much there."

"True, but maybe the Digimon Emperor put up a Control Spire there," said Tentomon.

"So, what do you think the younger kids want to talk with us about?" Joe asked curiously. Matt's expression went from annoyed to thoughtful, a certain subject in his mind.

"I think I may have an idea what they want to talk about," the blond-haired boy said, getting everybody's attention, while Gabumon also had the same idea as well by just looking at Matt's posture and face.

"What is it, exactly Matt?" asked Tai. Matt breathed deep before giving his answer, which surprised everybody.

"The Digimon Emperor is the other kid that Davis and Ryo fought with against Millenniummon?!" yelled Izzy.

"Yes, and no, Davis didn't tell me who he really is," said Matt. "He wasn't ready yet, and I respected his decision."

"So do you think he told the other younger kids?" asked Gomamon.

"Maybe," said Sora, "and I think they called us here so they could tell us."

"If that's true, then I can see why it would be important business," said Tai, realizing the importance now. The sound of beeping came from the computer and Izzy looked over to see a blinking green light. Gasping when he realized what it meant, the red-haired boy moved away from the computer, pulling Tentomon into his arms.

"Everybody get back, they're coming through!" The older Digidestined moved away from the computer as the screen lit up, spitting out Yolei and Poromon first, followed by Cody and Upamon, TK and Patamon, Kari and Gatomon, and finally Davis and DemiVeemon.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Adventure Heart ~Daisuke no Theme~)

"Welcome back, guys," said Tai. The other Digidestined merely nodded, their expressions grim-looking. "So from the looks on your faces, I think something happened?"

"Um…well…I guess you could say that," said Yolei, twirling her hair abysmally.

"Yolei, what's wrong?" asked Palmon, looking up at the lavender-haired girl. Yolei said nothing, which led to Cody answering.

"We found out the identity of the Digimon Emperor," the young boy said, confirming Matt's suspicions.

"Who is it?" Sora looked over to Davis, the burgundy-haired boy still looking over his shoulder.

"Hang on a minute, we're still one short."

"One short?" asked a confused Biyomon. "But you're all here, right?"

"Yeah, but there's one more…oh, here he comes!" The screen lit up again and the younger Digidestined moved away, walking up to the older Digidestined.

"Wait, what's going on? Who's coming through?" Izzy's question was answered when two black shapes flew out of the computer and landed on the floor of the lab. When the light faded, the two figures were revealed.

"Hey guys!" Ryo Akiyama said happily.

"Did you miss us?" Monodramon asked, his smile as big as Ryo's. Nobody in the room spoke as the older Digidestined and their partners simply stared, their eyes wide and their jaws dropping to the floor.

"No way…Ryo?!" asked Tai.

"In the flesh," said Ryo. The brown-haired boy gasped suddenly when he felt something heavy jump into his arms. Looking down, Ryo saw that hugging him was Agumon, the very first friendly Digimon he met before his partner.

"Ryo! Welcome back, old friend!"

"Easy, Agumon! It's good to see you again, but can you get off? You're heavy!"

"Sorry," Agumon said sheepishly, sliding out of Ryo's arms. The older boy turned back to the Digidestined, only to be met with a slap to the face. Holding a hand to his cheek, Ryo looked up to see Mimi's glaring face.

"Ow! Mimi, what was that for?!"

"For disappearing on us, and on me!" the pink-haired girl said angrily. "You promised to go on a date with me, and then you decide to go and vanish in some other dimension!"

"Oh geez, this again!" Ryo sighed. "Mimi, I never promised a date with you! You came up to me and asked me on a date, and I said I'd look into it! Besides, I didn't plan on going to another dimension!"

"You said you'd look into it!" Mimi said with an indignant huff. "So you still owe me a date!"

"All right, that's enough Mimi," Izzy grumbled, wrapping an arm around Mimi and pulling her back to the other Digidestined. The red-haired boy then turned back to Ryo.

"Ryo, is it true that you ended up in another dimension? And if you did, then how did you get back here?"

"It's a long story Izzy, but I think Davis and the others were going to tell you something," Ryo responded, getting everybody's attention back on the younger generation.

"Yeah, you said you knew who the Digimon Emperor was," said Mimi. "So who is it?"

Davis took in a deep breath before he answered.

"The Digimon Emperor is Ken Ichijouji."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"No way! The genius kid from Tamachi?!" gasped Izzy.

"He did seem sort of creepy from what I saw of him on TV, but I never thought him as someone like that," Mimi said in mild surprise.

"That can't be!" said Matt.

"Holy smokes!" yelled Joe.

"How is that possible?" asked Sora.

"So that means Ken went into the Digital World two years ago with you guys to fight Millenniummon," Tai said, looking to both Davis and Ryo.

"Yes, and he was a completely different person before," Ryo said sadly.

"I don't understand why someone so talented and capable would do all that chaos to the Digital World," Cody said thoughtfully.

"I knew who Ken was," Kari spoke up, getting everybody to look at her. "Davis told me the other day, and I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know the news of Ken being the Digimon Emperor is shocking, but please understand, the boy you've been seeing the last few times is not the Ken Ichijouji Davis and I knew well," said Ryo.

"He was completely different," Davis added, a sad look on his face. "I have no idea what could have made him do this." Kari frowned sadly, taking Davis's hand into her own for comfort.

"I know what made him like this," Ryo said, getting everybody to look at him again.

"You do? Do you think you can tell us?" Matt asked almost immediately.

"Yes, but not here," said Ryo, going over to the computer and typing on the keyboard. "We'll go to File Island first."

"File Island?" Patamon asked, confused. "Why do we need to go to File Island?"

"Because we didn't come back alone," answered Monodramon. Ryo finished typing on the keyboard, pulling out his D-Arc, which the older Digidestined noticed now.

"Wait Ryo, what is that?" Tai asked, looking at the dark blue device.

"This is my Digivice," Ryo said, showing it to everybody. "It changed, just like Davis's, and Ken's…and Kari and TK's."

"Yeah, I forgot to mention that!" said Yolei. "When Ryo saved us from Ken, he had these cards that he slid through his Digivice! He said something that I think was 'Digi-Modify' and Monodramon Digivolved to Champion level, despite a Control Spire in the area, and he took down eleven Champion level Digimon and destroyed the Control Spire in less than a minute!"

"You're kidding!" Izzy gaped, looking at the device. "Ryo, how did this happen?"

"It happened when I went into that other dimension with Monodramon," explained Ryo. "And it's called a D-Arc now."

"D-Arc…prodigious…" Izzy muttered, marveling at the blue and white device.

"Like Monodramon said, we didn't come back alone," said Ryo. "We brought some friends with us, and we'd like you to meet them. They're on File Island right now. So if you can all gather around…" Ryo held his D-Arc up to the screen.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"Wait a minute! Can you open the Digital Gate with your…your D-Arc?" Cody asked curiously.

"I tried it out when I got here, and I can," said Ryo, his arm still raised. "Hang on, everybody! Digital Gate, Open!" The screen beeped once before glowing brightly, and the large group of twenty-four was sucked into the Digital Gate. When the light faded from their eyes, the Digidestined found themselves in a forest. Looking off to the side, Patamon gasped when he saw something familiar.

"Look up there! It's Infinity Mountain!" The Digidestined looked around and saw the giant mountain in the distance.

"Holy smokes!" gasped Yolei. "That's gotta be the biggest mountain I have ever seen!"

"All right guys, if I'm right, then the rest of my friends will be in Primary Village," said Ryo, looking down a certain path. "The Digital Gate we went through is a few miles from here, so let's get going."

"The sooner we get there, the better," said Davis, eager to know what Ryo had been up to since he last saw him, as well desperate to know what caused Ken's change in personality.

"Then let's go!" Ryo led the way to Primary Village with Davis and Tai right behind him. The other Digidestined trailed behind, with Yolei and Cody trailing far behind. Cody looked up and saw the saddened look on Yolei's face. Cody didn't need a genius IQ to realize Yolei was said that a boy she had an insane crush on was evil all along.

"Yolei…I know…it seems hard right now…but Ken's just one guy…"

"Oh, what do you know?" Yolei muttered bitterly. "You're only ten years old! Besides, I don't think you're interested that much in romance."

"Well, not right now," said Cody. "But Yolei, you should get over it. If Ken's not who you thought he was, then you can certainly do better."

"Maybe…" Yolei sighed sadly before looking around the forest. The lavender-haired girl stopped when she noticed a vending machine wedged between two trees. Yolei had to blink several times and clean her glasses with her bandana to make sure she was seeing things right.

"Cody, you're seeing this, right?"

"If you mean a vending machine in the middle of the forest, then yes," Cody said, surprised as well. "I wonder how it got here."

"Well, the Digital World can be a crazy place," said Armadillomon. Yolei shrugged and went over to the machine, pulling out a coin.

"Yolei, what are you doing?" asked Hawkmon.

"I need something to drink when I feel down," Yolei said, slipping the coin through the machine. Several seconds passed, and no drink came out of the hole, much to Yolei's annoyance.

"Come on, you stupid machine! Give me my root beer!" the girl yelled, kicking the machine swiftly.

"Yolei, I highly doubt the machine works since it's in a place with no appliances," said Cody. "And we should get back to the others, or else we'll lose sight of them…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Zukkoke, Okkake, Oosawagi!)

"Where's my soda?!" Yolei kicked the machine again, and the door suddenly popped off, knocking Yolei off her feet. Looking up, Yolei screamed when she saw that in the machine was not soda, but many green slug-like Digimon with red eyes and purple spots. The slugs moved past Yolei and Cody, who had dumbfounded looks on their faces, as well as Hawkmon and Armadillomon.

"What…was…that?!" Yolei yelled, standing back up the moment the last slug left, wiping the slime off of her shirt with a look of disgust on her face.

"Did you try to get a soda?" Yolei looked over to see Mimi and Palmon, the duo of Sincerity giggling at the sight.

"Yeah, what was that? Who were those slugs?"

"Those were Numemon," said Palmon. "They love to hide in those vending machines."

"You could have told me that before," Yolei grumbled as she continued following the Digidestined to Primary Village.

* * *

In the village, the Digimon Tamers were sitting around and talking amongst themselves, with Henry learning about the Elecmon the other Tamers were told about.

"So there's an Elecmon out there that's partnered to a Digidestined?"

"Yeah, apparently he was partnered to a Digidestined before Tai's group came here," answered Takato. "Do you remember what Gennai said near the end of the first season?"

"That there was a Digidestined group before them? Yeah," said Henry. "I wonder if that Elecmon is one of the original Digimon partners, then."

"I'm not sure," said Kazu. "When we saw the original Digidestined's silhouettes, the Digimon were shaped like Agumon, Biyomon, Gabumon, Patamon and Tentomon."

"Well, those were just what the writers came up for the show," said Jeri. "They could have been different Digimon in real life."

"Maybe," Takato said as he bit into his bread. "Still…"

"Hey guys! I see Ryo!" Suzie called out. The other Tamers looked up to see Ryo walking towards them, Monodramon trailing next to him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)

"How's it hanging guys?" Ryo called out as he walked over to the Tamers. Rika immediately stormed forward and looked up to Ryo with a glare that made the Legendary Tamer back away slightly out of fear.

"How's it hanging?! You left us on this island for a week while you were doing God-knows-what!"

"I'm really sorry! I left you a note, didn't I?" Ryo asked, a little nervous under Rika's glare. "Didn't you read it?"

"Yeah, yesterday!" said Rika. "I didn't even know about the note until Calumon fell into my backpack! You could have put it somewhere else for me to find?"

"Like where, your pants pocket?" Ryo asked sarcastically. "You were asleep!"

"I think what Rika's trying to say is, 'Welcome back, Ryo. We've missed you and we were worried, but we're all right now!'" Takato said with a nervous chuckle before looking over to Rika.

"Right? That's what you were saying?"

"Rika, he apologized," Jeri placed a hand on Rika's shoulder. "You can accept it, right?"

"Right…yes…apology accepted," Rika sighed grudgingly.

"So Ryo, did you see the Digidestined?" asked Kenta. "How are they doing?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Ryo smirked, turning his head into the forest.

"They're coming here?!" Kazu asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes, they are," said Ryo, turning back to the other Tamers. "When you meet them, don't tell them much yet about the TV show. When I caught up with Davis, we were near the ending of episode 8."

"You mean where they find out Ken's the Digimon Emperor?" asked Takato.

"Yes," said Ryo. "We shouldn't tell them much yet about what will happen in the far future."

"You mean like, the Dark Ocean? Oikawa? Arukenimon and Mummymon? Myotismon Daemon?"

"Yes," said Ryo. "This is an alternate universe, so we don't know what will happen next."

"He's right," said Henry. "This universe has changed already with Davis becoming a Digidestined several years before he found the Digimental of Courage, so what else is different?"

"Hey Ryo, you there?" a voice called from the forest, the Tamers freezing up when they heard the voice.

"Ah, there they are!" Ryo turned back to the forest to see the Digidestined emerge from the trees and into Primary Village. The Tamers could only stare in absolute shock upon meeting them in person for the very first time: Tai Kamiya and Davis Motomiya in the lead with Agumon and Veemon, followed by Sora Takenouchi and Kari Kamiya with Biyomon and Gatomon, Matt Ishida and TK Takaishi with Gabumon and Patamon, Joe Kido and Izzy Izumi with Gomamon and Tentomon, and Mimi Tachikawa, Yolei Inoue and Cody Hida with Palmon, Hawkmon and Armadillomon.

"Oh…my…" Takato breathed. He could only stand completely still with a stunned look. Kazu and Kenta stood behind him, their jaws dropped.

"So you guys are Ryo's friends," Tai said as he observed the human children and the Digimon with them, his eyes settling on Takato and the goggles the young boy wore.

"Nice goggles," Tai said with a big smile. "So are you the leader of this group?"

'Me? The leader?' Takato thought in astonishment as he looked over to Ryo, the Legendary Tamer offering him a look of encouragement. Taking it, Takato breathed and walked over to Tai, his hand extended.

"Um…yeah…I am…" Takato said as he felt Tai shake his hand. The brown-haired boy could have fainted if he wanted to, but he stood strong.

THUMP.

However, Kazu and Kenta fainted, as they were unable to contain their excitement for long.

"I was wondering when that would happen," Rika muttered in embarrassment. "They actually lasted longer than I thought. Two minutes, I thought they would have fainted instantly."

"So did I," Renamon said with a small chuckle.

"Are those two okay?" Mimi asked in slight concern.

"Oh! They're all right," Takato said after shaking Davis's hand. "They're just big fans."

"So you're the ones Ryo brought from another dimension," Izzy said with interest. "If you have Digimon partners, then you must be Digidestined."

"Technically, we're Digimon Tamers," said Henry. "But yes, we did come from another dimension. We know who you guys are."

"But we don't know you," said Matt. "So who are you guys anyway, and who are your Digimon?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

"My name's Takato Matsuki, and the red dinosaur eating bread is my partner, Guilmon."

"Would you like some Guilmon Bread?" Guilmon asked from Takato's bag. "It's shaped like my head!"

"Oh, that is cute!" Mimi said, taking a loaf from Guilmon and admiring the bread.

"My name's Henry Wong, and this is Terriermon," Henry was the next to introduce himself.

"Remember to moumantai!" Terriermon called cheerfully, making Henry sweat-drop.

"Rika Nonaka, and this is Renamon," Rika kept the greeting short.

"Greetings, Digidestined," the yellow kitsune said with a bow. "It is an honor."

"I'm Henry's sister Suzie, and this is Lopmon!" Henry's sister said, with Lopmon providing a greeting the same as Renamon, bowing and saying that it was an honor to meet them.

"Uh…my-my name is Kazu Shioda," the visor-wearing boy said, regaining consciousness and trying his best to not faint again. "This is Kokuwamon, my partner."

"Well, hello there!" Kokuwamon said with a wave.

"I'm K-Ke-Kenta Kitagawa, and this is Betamon!"

"Yo!" said the green Digimon.

"I'm Jeri Katou," the brown-haired girl said, holding the Catalyst in her arms. "And this little bundle of joy is Calumon!"

"Oh, boy! New friends to play with!" Calumon cheered, flying out of Jeri's arms and into Kari's, the child of Light instantly smitten by the little white Digimon.

"Oh, my God! You are so cute!" Kari squealed. Yolei, Mimi and Sora went over to Kari and began fawning over Calumon's cuteness.

"I'm Ai, and this is my twin brother Mako."

"We…don't have our partner Impmon right now," said Mako. "He's lost somewhere in this Digital World and we're looking for him."

"And like Henry said, we're Digimon Tamers!" Takato reached into his pocket and pulled out his gold-rimmed D-Arc, showing it to the Digidestined, who looked at the device in awe.

"Wow…it's just like Ryo's!" Davis said, looking from Takato's device to Ryo's.

"So…you guys know us," Joe said to the Tamers.

"Yeah, we know all of you, even Yolei and Cody!" said Kazu, getting looks of surprise from the inheritors of Love and Knowledge.

"Did Ryo tell you guys about us?" Agumon asked.

"Yeah, he told us about fighting alongside you guys against Millenniummon, and…"

"Hold on, hold on!" Yolei cut off Kenta's answer. "You said you know all about us, but I don't know a single thing about you, and I don't know Ryo at all! I just met the guy two hours ago!"

"So did I," said Cody, looking at the Tamers suspiciously. "How exactly do you know about me and Yolei?"

"There's a lot of other things I'm curious about," said Izzy. "How did Ken become the Digimon Emperor? Why are your Digivices different from ours? Why did Ryo's Digivice change into one of yours? And how do you know about Yolei and Cody if Ryo never met them?"

"Oops," Kazu said with a sheepish look on his face. "I said too much, didn't I?"

"Well, we were going to tell them anyway," said Suzie.

"Tell us what?" asked TK.

"Allow me to answer," said Henry. "You see, in our dimension, you exist as characters in an anime TV show and multiple forms of media."

It was the Digidestined's turn to stand in stunned silence as they took in this news. Davis was the first to react.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"You've got to be kidding me…we're fictional characters in your world?!"

"No way!" Izzy gasped, his eyes wider than the rest of his friends'. "Are you saying our adventures are a TV show in your world?"

"I'm a cartoon character?!" Yolei yelled in surprise.

"That's impossible!" gasped Cody.

"In my experience Cody, nothing is impossible," Izzy said before turning back to the other Digidestined. "So is this true?"

"Yes and no," said Ryo. "The Digimon TV show was split into two seasons. The first season perfectly captured everything from 1999 with Tai's old group. The second season jumped four years ahead with Yolei and Cody joining the team…but that second season was in a completely parallel dimension."

"Parallel how?" asked Davis, getting Ryo and the other Tamers to look at him. Ryo and Takato looked hesitant while the other Tamers looked off to the side, wondering how this would go down.

"Well…you see Davis…" said Ryo. "The second season mostly ignored the fights we had against Millenniummon…and they only showed me and Ken for a few brief moments."

"What?" Davis asked in surprise. "What about me? Was I in the show?"

"Well, you were…" said Takato, "…but in the parallel dimension that was Season 2, you were relatively new to the Digidestined, like Yolei and Cody."

"But…but…" Davis stammered, stunned at the news. "Then…what does that mean? Does that mean I never fought alongside Ken and Ryo in your world's TV show?" The burgundy-haired boy began running his fingers through his hair in anxiety, unable to properly comprehend what was just said unto him. The other Digidestined didn't know what to say either, as they were surprised as well.

Fortunately, Ryo was able to go over to Davis and help him snap out of his funk.

"Davis…look at me, man." Davis looked up to see the older boy in the eyes, which were filled with compassion.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"What happened in that show…that's not what happened here. You were with me and Ken when we fought Millenniummon. You have been a Digidestined for three years and you have grown up and matured faster than most children. And that happened in the real world, not some TV show that was written by a bunch of writers with different ideas."

"He's right," Takato said, stepping forward. "The only one that has been controlling your life is yourself, not some writers from another dimension. Ryo told me about you and the things you have done with him and Ken. And I can tell you've been able to lead your team just as well as Tai has…and as well as I have when it counted. Forget that alternate reality, forget the TV show…and remember your past and your friends."

Davis took in Takato's and Ryo's words slowly, thinking about his sister Jun, his brother figure Tai, his sister figure Sora, his girlfriend Kari, and his Digimon partner Veemon. He thought about his first time in the Digital World with Ken and Ryo. Those memories would stay with him forever, and nothing could take them away from him.

"You're right guys," Davis smiled and looked up at the two boys. "I guess I overreacted a little bit."

"Actually, I think your reaction was justified," said Monodramon, who looked slightly grumpy. "They didn't show me either…or Veemon!"

"Geez, let it go already Monodramon!" Ryo said exasperatedly. Davis chuckled at Ryo and Monodramon's interactions while Tai walked over to Takato.

"You know Takato, I think I can see why you're the leader," said Tai. "You look different and act different than me and Davis, but you definitely care much about your friends and you seem to have the right things to say. You're definitely worthy of those goggles." Takato couldn't stop the heavy blush that covered his face.

"Takato, your face is all red," said Guilmon. "Are you sick, or angry?"

"No, I think he's just a little embarrassed about getting praise from Tai," chuckled Kazu. "I know I would be."

"Th…thanks Tai," said Takato. "That means a lot from you."

"Still, this is very prodigious!" Izzy said to Henry, who the red-haired boy figured was the brains of the Tamers. "You said Digimon exist as more than just a television show. What other media forms are Digimon shown as in your dimension?"

"Basically anything popular with children," said Henry. "There are Digimon video games, Digimon CDs that include music and audio dramas, several movies, toys…"

"…and cards!" Kazu said, pulling a binder out of his backpack and opening it, showing the Digidestined a variety of cards, each one having a different Digimon on them.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"Woah, freaky!" said Veemon, looking at a card with himself on it. "I'm on a card!"

"There I am too!" said Patamon.

"Cards…" Yolei muttered, looking at a card with Hawkmon on it before looking up to the Tamers. "Hey, can these cards can be used for something else besides playing?"

"Yeah, when Ryo saved us from Ken, he swiped some cards through his D-Arc that allowed Monodramon to Digivolve even with a Control Spire up, and it also made Strikedramon very fast," said TK. "He even used Parrotmon's Mjolnir Thunder attack."

"The cards can also be used when we fight Digimon," Rika said in confirmation, showing her D-Arc to everybody. "They can give our partners extra strength and speed, as well as weapons to use and the attacks of different Digimon."

"We can also use the cards to Digivolve our Digimon," added Takato.

"As for Monodramon Digivolving when the Control Spire was still up," said Ryo, "it's because when Monodramon and I entered the Tamers' dimension and my Digivice changed, Monodramon's composition data changed to match the signature of the other Digimon in that dimension."

"What that means is since our Digimon and D-Arks come from a different dimension, our Digimon can Digivolve without worrying about the Control Spires," said Henry.

"That's amazing," Izzy said, taking Henry's green-rimmed D-Ark in hand to examine it. "Do you mind if I scan your D-Ark later?"

"I don't mind at all," said Henry.

"Okay, now if introductions and explanations are out of the way," said Yolei, "can someone please tell me why you're here and what's really going on? Ryo said he knows what made Ken the Digimon Emperor."

"Do you, Ryo?" Davis asked pleadingly.

"I do," Ryo said, letting out a breath and looking up to the sky sadly. "But if we're going to do this, then I think we should tell them everything, mostly so Cody and Yolei can understand things better. I think we should go back to the beginning."

"Then let's get settled in," said Tai. Once everybody had sat down, the story started with the first eight Digidestined telling everybody about their adventures that started on File Island, and their battles with Devimon, Etemon, Myotismon, the Dark Masters and the final battle with Apocalymon.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Wow," Yolei breathed in surprise once the story was done. "I had no idea you guys went through so much!"

"And that was technically in three days before time got straightened out," noted Jeri.

"I feel like there's a massive gap we have to cross to be considered in your league," said Cody, referring to himself and Yolei.

"You have no idea, stiff boy," said Rika with a snort, making Cody glare at her softly.

"What did you call me?"

"Don't take it personally," said Takato. "She has nicknames for most of us. She calls me goggle-head a lot."

"You're Goggle-head Number 3 now," said Rika, gesturing to Tai and Davis, who both responded with an indignant "Hey!"

"Anyway, back to the story," said Ryo, who continued with Millenniummon appearing and capturing all the Digidestined except Agumon, which led to Ryo coming in the Digital World, meeting Monodramon, receiving his own Crest and Digivice, and helping the Digidestined defeat Millenniummon with all their partner Digimon reaching the Mega level.

"I remember that day well," said Sora. "Hououmon looked absolutely beautiful!"

"And so was Rosemon," added Mimi.

"Don't forget Ophanimon!" Kari said with a laugh.

"Seraphimon was awesome!" said TK.

"And HerculesKabuterimon was impressive as well in that battle," added Izzy.

"I definitely kicked butt as Vikemon, no doubt!" Gomamon said with a laugh.

"Yeah, you did," Joe chuckled while stroking his partner's head.

"And then the Diaboromon incident happened, which led to Millenniummon coming back," Ryo started again. "And this was where Davis and Ken entered the story. They received their own Crests and partner Digimon, and they helped me defeat Millenniummon again, but it led to me being sucked into the Tamers' dimension, after an intense battle with Millenniummon that went throughout timelines and other dimensions."

"And Ken was badly injured in the neck," Davis said sadly, remembering that day. "Millenniummon fired some sort of black shrapnel at us, and Ken pushed both me and Ryo down so we wouldn't get hurt…"

"…but Ken wasn't so lucky," Veemon continued gravelly.

"Oh, no…" gasped Yolei. "Did he make it out okay, though?"

"Yeah, he healed up before we went home," said Davis. "But that was really the last time I saw of Ken. He's changed completely from the last time I saw him. I guess that was a reason why I didn't tell any of you. It was hard to tell the difference between the person he was before, and the person he is now."

"What was Ken like anyway before he became the Digimon Emperor?" Kari asked curiously. Davis and Ryo considered for a moment before Ryo answered.

"Ken was one of the most caring and kindhearted people you could ever meet, the type who looked out for his loved ones."

"Honestly, he was more kind and caring than either of us," Davis referred to himself and Ryo. "That's probably why his Crest was Kindness."

"Crest of Kindness, huh?" asked Sora.

"Anyway…" Ryo sighed, his face becoming downcast again. "The reason why Ken became the Digimon Emperor…is because of Millennniummon."

"What?!" Davis asked, his eyes widening. "Millenniummon turned Ken evil?! How?!"

"The shrapnel Millenniummon threw at us wasn't shrapnel Davis," Ryo said gravelly. "Though the second season of the Digimon TV show is a little bit of a convoluted mess, it did show how Ken became evil. The shrapnel Millenniummon attacked us with were Dark Spores made from his own data, and one of them entered Ken's body through his neck."

"His neck?" Davis asked, remembering when Ken was hit by Millenniummon's shrapnel. Ken had been crying about his neck hurting.

"What's this Dark Spore?" asked Izzy.

"It's a very sinister device," said Henry. "From what was seen in the show, the Dark Spore can increase one's athletic abilities and intelligence, which is why Ken is such an athlete and a genius, but it also slowly drives its host evil by drawing power from their negative emotions."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi 2)

"And Ken was an emotional wreck after his brother Sam died," Jeri said sadly, her thoughts drifting to the episode where Ken's origins as the Emperor were depicted. "The TV show showed his spiral into darkness as the Digimon Emperor. The sadness he felt…the loneliness…it tore him apart and left him vulnerable to being corrupted and controlled." The brown-haired girl sniffed sadly and let a lone tear roll down her cheek. It was one of few moments in the Digimon TV show that truly made the former Tamer cry.

The Digidestined were left completely speechless as they listened to the Tamers, not knowing how to react. They had no idea that Millenniummon, one of their most dangerous enemies, would leave behind a legacy in the form of a corrupted Digidestined.

'I have no idea Ken went through so much trauma in the three years since Sam died,' Davis thought in despair, 'nor did I know of the Dark Spore.' The burgundy-haired boy could only wonder what would have happened had he stayed in contact with Ken for the last three years. Could he have prevented all of this from happening?

"Ryo wanted to come back here so he could help you fight Ken," said Takato. "And we came with him as well. When we heard about where Ryo came from, we wanted to come so we could help you guys out...plus we really wanted to meet you guys in person. Ryo's also become our friend in our dimension. We just couldn't let him go without us."

"Well, considering we're dealing with something Millenniummon-related, we could use all the help we can get," TK said, remembering the mad Digimon like it was yesterday.

"There's something more to this as well," said Ryo. "And it's personal for me…and I mean, really personal."

"Personal how?" asked Rika, an eyebrow raised. Ryo hesitated, looking down to Monodramon.

"Should we tell them, buddy?"

"I think they deserve to know," Monodramon said, his face frowning sadly.

"Know what?" asked Suzie. Ryo and Monodramon nodded slowly to each other before the Legendary Tamer spoke again.

"Do you remember when I told you that Monodramon was chosen to be my partner Digimon?" Ryo's question was met with nods from everybody. The brown-haired boy took another deep breath before continuing.

"Well, the truth is…Monodramon was not originally supposed to be my partner."

"What?" Tai asked in surprise, the rest of the Digidestined and Tamers sharing his surprise.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"It's true," said Ryo. "I found this out when I went into the Tamers' dimension. You see, Davis, Ken and myself were supposed to be with Tai's group, since we had Crests like the eight Digidestined. In fact, our Crests and Digivices, along with our partners' eggs, were created shortly before the other eight. However, when Piedmon attacked Gennai and the Order, our partners' eggs were lost in the Digital World, separated from their Crests and Digivices, much like Gatomon's." The white cat looked down sadly, remembering how her DigiEgg was lost from the others. It led to one of the worst moments of her life when she was abused and turned into a minion of evil by Myotismon. Had it not been for her friend Wizardmon, she would never have met Kari and reformed.

"Veemon and Wormmon's eggs were safe and they didn't hatch until the second time Millenniummon attacked the Digital World. However, my first partner, who was supposed to be an Agumon like Tai's, hatched from his egg, and like Gatomon, he wandered the Digital World, Digivolving to Greymon and waiting for me…until…"

"No…" Gatomon whispered, realizing where this was going. And from the looks on some of the Tamers, it was clear they knew where this was going.

"Ryo…please tell me your partner wasn't found by Myotismon."

"No, Gatomon…" Ryo said with a pained smile. "He wasn't found by Myotismon…he was found by Apocalymon."

"Oh, God…" Takato whispered in shock. "What happened then?"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Samayoi no Mori)

"That's the messed up part," said Ryo. "When Apocalymon found Greymon, he was re-forming the Dark Masters. He had Piedmon, MetalSeadramon and Puppetmon already, but he needed a fourth." Ryo's face then tightened before he continued.

"Apocalymon decided to create a Digimon from the parts of various Digimon he found. These Digimon, besides my partner, were Garurumon, Kabuterimon, Monochromon, Kuwagamon, Devimon, Angemon, Airdramon, SkullGreymon and MetalGreymon."

"Wait a minute!" said Kenta. "Those Digimon…"

"Yes Kenta," Ryo pulled out his D-Arc and showed an image of a Digimon that made the Digidestined gasp in horror. The Digimon displayed was one possessing the body of Greymon, the legs of Garurumon, the tail of Monochromon, the head of Kabuterimon, the hair of MetalGreymon, the right arm of SkullGreymon, the left arm of Kuwagamon, the arms of Devimon, and the wings of Airdramon and Angemon. "Apocalymon created Kimeramon."

"Kimeramon?" Izzy asked, looking at the Digimon with a look that bordered on shock and disgust.

"He was a Digimon seen in the second season," answered Rika. "Even though he's an Ultimate level, his power makes him as strong as a Mega level."

"Holy crap," whispered Matt.

"What made it more barbaric was how Apocalymon made Kimeramon," Ryo said with a grim expression. "He butchered my partner and those other Digimon, literally merging their data together and using their body parts to create the abomination you see before you."

An eerie silence fell over the Digidestined and the Tamers. Everyone looked ill, while Suzie, Ai and Mako looked like they were about to be really sick.

"Why…?" Cody asked in horror. "Why would he do something like that?"

"Apocalymon wanted four powerful servants to plunge the Digital World into darkness, so everyone could feel his pain and misery," Ryo ran a hand over his face. "Kimeramon was intended to be the fourth Dark Master, but there was one flaw. Every one of the Digimon he butchered were still alive inside Kimeramon's body, and that gave him the biggest case of schizophrenia in any universe. He was extremely powerful…and he was also downright insane. Apocalymon had no control over him."

"I always knew Apocalymon was insane…" Tai swallowed. "But hearing that…what he did to your partner and the other Digimon…"

"That's absolutely wrong on so many levels," Takato said, his face bearing a terrified look.

"What happened to Kimeramon?" asked Yolei.

"Apocalymon abandoned him," Ryo answered simply. "He simply couldn't control something that deranged and powerful. So he tried to make a Digimon again, but this time instead of organic Digimon, he used cyborg type Digimon: MetalGreymon, Andromon, Megadramon, MetalTyrannomon and MetalMamemon. Together, they made…" Ryo pressed a button on his D-Arc, and Kimeramon's image faded to reveal a machine-like Digimon resembling a dragon.

"Machinedramon…" Tai whispered, recognizing the Digimon instantly.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hypnos)

"Because Machinedramon was made out of cyborg Digimon, Apocalymon was able to program all of those Digimon's minds to operate together under a single consciousness," said Monodramon.

"Machinedramon's programming went down to the atomic level," Ryo continued. "When WarGreymon destroyed Machinedramon, he didn't fully die. Even though his body disintegrated and his territory over Spiral Mountain vanished, he was still very much alive as a bunch of data."

"That's hardcore…" Terriermon breathed.

"After Apocalymon was defeated, Machinedramon went into hiding in an attempt to return to power. He had little options…and then he found Kimeramon. Forcing his data into Kimeramon, the two DNA-Digivolved…into…" Another press of the button, and a new Digimon took Machinedramon's place. The Digimon's body was a blackened version of Kimeramon's body, but in place of his wings was an energy being resembling Machinedramon, with Machinedramon's cannons on its back.

"Millenniummon…" Davis whispered in shock.

"Yes," Ryo nodded grimly.

"When Millenniummon was created, he gained a perfect mix of the two personalities," said Monodramon. "Kimeramon received clarity and ruthlessness from Machinedramon, as well as being capable of focusing on a single goal. As for Machinedramon, he received emotion and the capacity to feel from Kimeramon. He was no longer schizophrenic, but he became utterly mad, wanting to plunge the Digital World back into darkness in order to, as he said, 'maintain the balance between light and darkness. He even gained incredible power over time and space.'"

"What made it worse, was Millenniummon…was my partner Digimon," Ryo said, causing everyone to gasp in horror and shock.

"But…but how?" asked Mimi, her hands over her mouth.

"Apocalymon's creation of Kimeramon, twisted as it was, was treated as a kind of DNA-Digivolution. And because Greymon was part of the process, Kimeramon became my partner, and in turn, when Kimeramon and Machinedramon formed a singular entity…"

"…Millenniummon became your partner," Henry finished.

"Gennai didn't know this, but when he couldn't find my partner, he knew something must have happened to him. Knowing he couldn't let me go out into the Digital World without a partner, Gennai managed to have Monodramon become my second partner."

"I see…" Renamon said, looking down at the purple dragon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"When Monodramon and I ended up in the Tamers dimension, Shibumi's algorithm was placed in my Digivice, and it became my D-Arc," Ryo continued. "Because Monodramon was my main partner Digimon, I became his Tamer. But because my old Digivice was still linked to Greymon, Millenniummon was also my partner. When Monodramon found out about this, he made a big risk."

"Since Millenniummon and I shared a connection together through the Digivice, I forced myself to DNA Digivolve with Millenniummon, since he was too strong to be defeated by us alone." Monodramon said. "In other words, I absorbed his data into my body, and then while he was in shock over what happened, I forced him into a deep hibernation, and I turned back into my DigiEgg."

"Unbelievable…" Veemon gasped. "Millenniummon's data is inside of you?!"

"It's been dormant ever since Monodramon hatched again," said Ryo. "Monodramon was still his old self, although he inherited Millenniummon's savagery, especially when he becomes Cyberdramon."

"Recently, though, I've been getting more crazy in fights, even as Strikedramon," said Monodramon. "Whenever I smell a challenge, it's like a little of Millenniummon seeps into me." The purple dragon looked over to the Digidestined with a pained smile. "If you thought I was brutal before as Cyberdramon without Millenniummon's data, then wait until you see me now."

"When Monodramon and I looked into it, we found out that Millenniummon's data inside of Monodramon was reacting to the Dark Spore inside of Ken," picked up Ryo. "That's when I decided it was time to come back home and finish what I started with my old partner."

The Legendary Tamer looked down to the ground, his story complete. The Digidestined and the Tamers were quiet again, looking at the duo in shock from what they had just revealed.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

'Ryo's had it worse than I thought…' Rika thought, a saddened expression on her face.

'Aw, man…Ryo…' Davis thought sadly.

"So…how did you guys get here, anyway?" asked Mimi, who was the first to break the silence. "And can you be able to get back to your dimension?"

"The Digimon Sovereigns, who were the ones that created your Crests in the first place were the ones that managed to send us here," said Lopmon. "They have the ability to travel between dimensions like Millenniummon. The four Sovereigns, who are Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, Ebonwumon and Baihumon, are Mega level Digimon powerful as gods."

"If they're as powerful as gods, then why can't they come to our dimension and help us?" Matt asked.

"Because Matt, the dark aura the Control Spires are emitting is preventing the Sovereigns from doing anything in this dimension," answered Ryo. "Fortunately, the Sovereigns were at full power in the Tamers' dimension, so we managed to come here through a portal we opened up with the Sovereigns."

"Can you get back home?" asked Sora.

"We can, but we need to knock down all of the Control Spires," answered Rika. "We do that, and the Sovereigns can return to this dimension and bring us back."

"Okay, so we find a way to free Ken from Millenniummon's Dark Spore, we destroy all the Control Spires and the Sovereigns will be able to come back," Tai summed up. "That's our plan for the foreseeable future, right?"

"Yes," Takato said with a nod.

"Is there a way to remove the Dark Spore from Ken?" asked Izzy.

"I wish there was Izzy, but so far, we have no idea," said Ryo. "If we can reach Ken somehow, then we can save him."

"Did it work in the TV show?" Gomamon asked curiously.

"It did…but the results weren't pretty," Suzie said with a frown. None of the other Tamers spoke, and the Digidestined decided to leave the subject at that, not wanting to know anymore.

"Anyway…if that's all that needs to be said, what's the time?" asked Joe, looking up to see several stars appearing in the darkening sky. "It looks like it's late."

"Let's see…" Izzy pulled out his Digivice and looked at the time, his eyes widening when he did. "Good grief, it's 8:30!"

"What?!" yelled Yolei. "Didn't we get here at 3:20?"

"Yes, but considering there was a lot to talk about, a lot of time has passed," said Izzy. "We should get home before our parents start to really worry!"

"You're right Izzy," Mimi voiced. The other Digidestined got up to move, when…

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Kazu. "What about us Tamers? We've been on File Island for a week now! Where are we supposed to sleep?"

"Ooh, right…" Takato said, looking embarrassed. "I guess we didn't think living arrangements through very well, huh?"

"Oh boy…" sighed Tai, who looked to the other Digidestined. "How are we going to explain this?"

"And who's going to live where?" asked Cody.

"I have a few ideas," Ryo said with a smile.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Guilmon no Theme)

"Takato, your Digimon is absolutely adorable! I thought Agumon was cute, but Guilmon's even cuter!" Yuuko Kamiya said pleasantly while pinching Guilmon's face.

"He's not cute, he's cool!" Takato groaned as he sat in a chair in Tai and Kari's apartment, where Ryo decided Takato would stay at in Odaiba.

"Well, of course you would say he's cool. You are a boy, after all!"

"Hey!" Takato said indignantly while Yuuko laughed at his embarrassed look.

"So is it all right if Takato and Guilmon stay here for a while, Mom?" asked Tai. The bearer of Courage and his sister had both explained the situation to their parents. While Yuuko and her husband Susumu were surprised to hear that their two guests were from another dimension, they accepted both Takato and Guilmon into their apartment, with the brown-haired woman gushing over Guilmon.

"Well, of course they can stay," Yuuko said, looking up to Takato. "We'd be very happy to have you here with us Takato. Where would you and Guilmon like to sleep?"

"If it's all right with you Mrs. Kamiya, I'll take the couch and Guilmon can sleep next to me."

"No problem, dear." As Yuuko went over to get the couch ready, she caught a whiff from Guilmon.

"OOH! My goodness…" the brown-haired woman yelled, her hands flying up to cover her mouth and nose. "Don't you ever give Guilmon baths, Takato?"

"Baths?!" Guilmon asked in fear.

"You're kidding me, right?" Takato asked with a blank look. "Trying to get Guilmon to take a bath is worse than fighting evil Digimon, believe me."

"Plus, I like this smell," whined Guilmon.

"Well, I don't," Yuuko said firmly. "I don't care how things go in your world Takato, but you need to give Guilmon regular baths here. At least Gatomon keeps up her personal hygiene; but I've had to take charge with Agumon. And Guilmon will be no different." The brown-haired woman then smiled dangerously, making Takato, Guilmon, Tai and Agumon suddenly look very nervous. "I think we should start right now."

"Uh oh." That was all Guilmon said before Yuuko took him by the arm and pulled him towards the bathroom, Takato following close by with a worried look on his face.

"If I were you guys, I'd stay out here," the young goggled boy whispered to Tai and Kari. "This will not be a pretty sight."

"I know the same feeling," Agumon moaned, remembering the first night Yuuko gave him a bath.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" asked Tai, getting a giggle from Kari. Takato closed the bathroom door behind him, and seconds later, the sounds of washing and pained cries from Guilmon came from the room.

"Guilmon, hold still!" yelled Takato. "No! No attacks!"

"Hold his arms!" said Yuuko. "I need to get his feet first! Those always stink the most on someone!"

"If I wasn't worried for our future before, I certainly am now," Gatomon said with a flat look on her face, wondering how much help the Tamers could truly be.

* * *

"Good grief! Don't you ever clean this place up?" Rika said the moment she saw Matt's the inside of Matt's apartment. Dirty dishes filled the sink, clothes were thrown all over the floor, a faint odor could be picked up by the nose, and a layer of dust covered most of the things in the room.

"What do you expect? Two guys live here," Matt sighed, turning on the lights.

"Hey!"

"Oh…right, three guys," Matt said with an embarrassed chuckle, having forgot Gabumon, the horned Digimon looking slightly offended.

"So it seems," Renamon said, her ever-cool expression hiding a look of digust. "But four women live in Rika's house, counting myself and Rika, and we prefer a clean and healthy environment…not to mention a fine-smelling one."

"Yeah, and since we'll be living here for a while, this place has to look inhabitable!" said Rika, heading over to the kitchen area. "Renamon, you and Furboy take care of the laundry. You…in the kitchen with me, now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Matt said quickly, running into the kitchen area with Rika. He had got to know the red-haired girl during the walk home, and he knew right away that Rika was definitely not a girl to mess with or argue with…and she was also someone he could relate to greatly.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Run with the Wind ~Yamato no Theme~#2)

"So…your parents divorced as well, huh?" the blond-haired boy asked as the two started working on the pile of dishes. Rika glowered for a moment before sighing. The issue of her parents was something she rarely brought up with others, and was one she didn't like talking about at all.

"Yeah…and I'm not trying to make yours sound better, but my father just walked out on my mom. I haven't seen much of him since then…at least you still see your mother and TK."

"Yeah…" Matt said, looking down sadly, thinking about his mother. Though the relationship between the two had improved over the last four years, the blond-haired boy often still felt some friction between them. "Although…" Rika saw the look on Matt's face and nodded in understanding.

"I know how that feels," she sighed. "Mothers can be tough sometimes…but that doesn't mean they don't love you and worry about you."

"True," sighed Matt. "And at least we have friends, right?"

"Yeah…friends…" Rika said with a light smile, looking over to see Renamon pull a sock out from behind the television set. Before, she wouldn't have considered being friends with people like Takato and Henry, and only saw Renamon as a fighting tool, but she came to accept them as her true closest friends, as well as a reminder to never be alone. Hopefully, she could make friends with the Digidestined as well, though Yolei and Cody could be a problem...

And deep down in his thoughts, Matt wondered the same thing about himself and the Tamers. They seemed so much different than himself and his Digidestined friends, yet similar in some ways.

'Those Tamers don't seem so bad…they seem like good friends…' the bearer of Friendship thought with a light smile.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Straight from the Heart ~Sora no Theme~)

"I really appreciate this Mom," Sora said to her mother, watching Biyomon help Ai and Mako get ready for bed. The red-haired girl wondered how her mother would accept two young children in their apartment for a few moments, but because Toshiko Takenouchi was one of the more understanding and supportive parents when it came to Digimon, the dark-haired woman happily accepted the two young children.

"It's nothing, Sora," Toshiko waved off Sora's thanks. "I couldn't say no to letting two children as adorable as Ai and Mako stay here for a while. So they're like you and Tai?"

"They are, but they don't have their Digimon partner right now," answered Sora. "They think he may be somewhere in the Digital World, so we're going to look for him tomorrow."

"Well, you be careful then," Toshiko said, her hands on Sora's shoulders. "And make sure those two are safe."

"I will Mom, I promise," Sora said, hugging her mother before walking over to her partner and the twins.

"All right you two, ready for bed?" Ai and Mako nodded and Sora picked up both twins in her arms, carrying them over to the futon her mother had pulled out from them.

"Hey, Sora…do you think we'll find Impmon tomorrow?" asked Mako. Sora thought for a minute, unsure how to answer. Fortunately, Biyomon answered for her.

"Don't worry Mako, I'm sure Impmon's waiting for you in the Digital World to find him."

"Yeah," said Sora, picking up where the pink bird left off. "And even if we don't find Impmon right away, I'm sure we'll find him eventually."

"I hope so," Ai said with a sad look. "I bet he misses us as much as we miss him."

"What's Impmon like anyway?" asked Sora.

"Well…" Ai and Mako thought for a moment before Ai answered. "I guess you could say he was like Gatomon. He did some bad things, but he later did good things when he became our partner."

"At least that's what the other Tamers say," said Mako, sharing his sister's sad look. "They knew him better than we did. Ai and I…we used to fight over everything, and we even fought over Impmon. He ran away because of it. Shortly after he ran away, Ai and I decided to grow up and start sharing. We figured if we did, he would come back."

"He came back a while later," said Ai, "but shortly after we became his Tamers, he had to go back to the Digital World in our dimension. And because he fell into a dimensional rift that brought him to your dimension…it's been two years since we last saw him."

"Oh, Ai…Mako…" Sora said softly, her face saddening as well when she heard about Ai and Mako's relationship with Impmon. "I promise…we'll find Impmon."

"Thank you Sora," Ai said as she hugged the older girl, her brother joining in the hug as well.

"Sora…is it okay if Biyomon sleeps with us?" asked Mako. "Calumon usually does whenever he stays at our place…"

"Of course," said Sora. "Biyomon wouldn't mind, would you Biyomon?"

"Not at all!" chirped Biyomon, happily jumping on the futon and crawling in between the twins. "There we go! Now you can both snuggle with me!"

"Thank you," Ai and Mako chorused, snuggling into the bed and each of them placing an arm over Biyomon, enjoying the softness of her pink feathers and feeling sleep consume them. Sora couldn't help but smile at the innocent scene before her. The way Ai and Mako acted, as well as their age, reminded her of TK, who was very much like that when he was eight.

'Poor kids…they must really miss their Digimon,' the bearer of Love thought, deciding that no matter what, she would help Ai and Mako reunite with Impmon.

The twins and Biyomon were in such a deep sleep, none of them noticed the purple-rimmed D-Arc beeping softly, the screen lighting up and showing a red arrow spinning around…

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Li no Theme)

"I really appreciate your parents allowing me and Terriermon to stay here," Henry said, eating a plate of food Izzy's mother had made for him. Due to the space of Izzy's apartment, Henry and Suzie both couldn't stay there, so Ryo arranged for Suzie to stay at Cody's place.

"Your mother really is a good cook," the blue-haired boy said, slurping some noodles while Izzy looked over Henry's D-Arc, scanning it with his computer.

"Thank you," Izzy said with a small smile. "And I noticed Terriermon likes it as well. Although I noticed he can be quite messy…"

"Yeah, I usually have to be the one that cleans up his messes," Henry lightly chuckled. "I just wonder how Suzie's doing right now."

"I'm more concerned about Cody," said Izzy. "I couldn't help but notice that Suzie and Cody seem like polar opposites, despite being the same age."

"Hey, they may learn some things from each other," Terriermon said as he walked in from taking a shower, drying himself off with a towel. "Suzie could learn to take some things seriously, and Cody looks like he could loosen up a bit and have fun."

"That is true," said Tentomon, getting an idea about Suzie from seeing her playful nature during the meeting earlier. "Cody seems stiff as a board, and Suzie looks to be limp like a rag doll."

"Real funny," Henry said flatly before turning his attention back to Izzy.

"So, let's see if I got this right…your father created the first Digimon back in your world?"

"It was him and some of his friends in college that created Digimon in an independent project," said Henry. "What they created was artificial intelligence made to be like real creatures, with survival of the fittest programmed into them."

"I see," said Izzy. "That must be why your Digital World seems more dangerous than our Digital World."

"It started out small, then after the project was cancelled due to funding being cut, other people made the video games, TV show and media platforms based on the results the Monster Makers managed to get out from the project."

"And the D-Ark?"

"It was created to communicate with Digimon, appearing for those who wished for strong bonds with certain Digimon."

"So that means you and the other Tamers," Izzy summed up.

"Exactly," said Henry. "And as you can see from your scans, their structure and data information is different than the Digivice or the D-3s."

"I can see that," Izzy said, looking at the information with fascination. "In fact, the D-Arks could be a big help for us older Digidestined. You see, I'm having problems creating a program for the Digivices and D-3s that will allow our partners to bypass the Control Spires and Digivolve normally. I tried scanning the Control Spires, but there's little to no information about them that I can work with. I figured, since your D-Arks are different, and your Digimon are from a different dimension, this could be helpful in completing the program. Can you help me?"

"If it means extra help when fighting, then I'm sure Henry will be more than happy to help out!" Terriermon said happily, getting a chuckle from his Tamer.

"Of course I'll help, Izzy." Pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Izzy, the two boys began working on the program well into the night while their partners drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"So Calumon's not your partner Digimon?" asked Mimi. The pink-haired girl sat on her bed with Jeri and Palmon, the plant Digimon holding Calumon in her arms.

"No…Calumon used to enable Digimon to Digivolve, but it was depleted when he Digivolved a lot of Digimon to the Mega level. After that, he became a real Digimon. He does have some of his power, though, but it's not as frequent as before."

"Is he an In-Training level Digimon?" asked Mimi, noticing the small size of Calumon.

"Actually…he doesn't really have a level, or any attacks at all," Jeri said after thinking for a minute.

"So Jeri…who's your Digimon partner?"

"Oh…well…" Jeri's face dropped considerably. "My partner…well…he was a Leomon."

"A Leomon?" Mimi asked in surprise, remembering the beast warrior Digimon she and the other Digidestined met years ago. "Really?"

"Yes," Jeri said with a sad smile. "Leomon was a great Digimon partner, very much like the one you knew. He was brave and selfless, and he was such a strong warrior." Mimi smiled at the thought of Leomon, but the good feeling didn't last. From the way Jeri looked, as well as her constantly mentioning Leomon in the past tense, made her think about something unpleasant. She wasn't sure if this was right for her to ask, but she had to know.

"Jeri, I…I have to ask...did Leomon…" the pink-haired girl trailed off, but from the look on Jeri's face, which became truly sad, it was clear what happened to Jeri's partner.

"Yes…Leomon died. And what it was worse in our dimension, there was no Primary Village. Leomon died for good…and his data was absorbed."

"No…" Palmon gasped in shock.

"Oh, my god…" Mimi whispered, faint tears appearing in her eyes. Her mind flashed back to when the Leomon she knew died protecting her from an attack that was meant for her.

(Play Omoi ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"I was over it," Jeri said sadly. "I tried to live my life, and it did improve. But then the Digimon came back, and mine wasn't among them. I didn't mind it though since I still had Calumon and the other Digimon. I decided to come here to help Ai and Mako find their partner Impmon; he's just as important to me as Leomon was. I was excited, but deep down…I knew this dimension still has a Leomon that could be reborn…but it wouldn't be…him."

"Oh, Jeri…" Mimi said softly, moving on her bed and embracing Jeri in a warm hug, allowing the younger girl to cry softly on her shoulder.

"It's all right Jeri," Calumon said softly, placing his hands on Jeri's leg. "I'm still here for you, and so are Takato and the others. And now, you have a new friend in Mimi!"

"Jeri, I know the bad memories hurt," said Mimi. "I know how that feels. But don't dwell for long on those memories, and think about the good ones you had with Leomon. Think about the good times you've had with Takato and the other Tamers, and the other good times you'll be able to have with us in the future. That's what I do when I remember the bad things of the Digital World."

"Thank you, Mimi…" Jeri said, tightening her hug on Mimi. Palmon joined in the hug as well, wrapping her vines around both girls and Calumon. Jeri began feeling much better now, knowing that even if she could never be with Leomon again, she would see to it that Ai and Mako were reunited with Impmon.

* * *

"Hey, take it easy in the tub! No splashing!" Kenta said to Betamon, who was taking a bath with Gomamon. As both were aquatic-type Digimon, the green amphibian and white seal were practically at home in the tub, splashing about and having fun.

"Come on Betamon, this isn't our apartment!"

"Okay, okay!" Betamon said, sighing as he sunk down to the bottom of the tub. Kenta sighed and walked out of the bathroom, going into Joe's bedroom, where he flopped down on the spare bed that was pulled in for him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Happy End)

"I take it Betamon is like Gomamon?" Joe asked, looking up from his studies.

"Except for the sarcastic jokes," replied Kenta. "It's funny. When I first got him as a partner, he was already in his Mega level, MarineAngemon. He didn't talk much, but he was always hyper and positive."

"He does sound like Gomamon," Joe said with a chuckle.

"You know, Joe…I always admired you when I watched the TV show," Kenta said after a short silence.

"Really? You admired me?" Joe asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I admired you for how you changed throughout the show. You started out as a scared and overstressed boy, but you became someone that could be trusted and relied on when things got ugly. I always wanted to be like you…but sometimes, I feel meek compared to the other Tamers. Since my partner's evolved forms can't do much outside of the water, unlike Gomamon, there's never much I can do." Kenta sighed sadly, sitting down on the bed with his face in his hands.

"I know how that feels," Joe said, sitting down and placing a hand on Kenta's shoulder. "I may have the Crest of Reliability, but given my recent studies, it's been hard for me to get involved much with the Digidestined…but I know there's going to be a day again when they'll need me. If they do, then I'll be there. And I know you're someone the Tamers can count on to be there when you're needed, Kenta."

"You think so, Joe?"

"I know so," Joe said, patting Kenta on the back before heading back to his desk. "Don't put yourself down Kenta."

The black-haired boy pondered Joe's words as he went to sleep with Betamon once the green Digimon came out of the tub with Gomamon.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Dancin' on the Sky ~Miyako no Theme~#2)

"I don't get why Ryo said you had to stay with me. I already have my siblings to deal with," Yolei complained to Kazu. The lavender-haired girl and the visor-wearing boy sat together in Yolei's room. The two faced a brief problem concerning their Digimon partners. It was easy to get Poromon in past Yolei's parents and siblings, but Yolei didn't know how to get Kokuwamon into the apartment without being noticed. Fortunately, Kokuwamon was able to fly up with the jet thrusters built into his back.

"Hey, I don't like it more than you do," said Kazu. "I was hoping to stay with Tai or Davis, but if Ryo said I stay with you, then I stay with you."

"You really seem to listen to Ryo a lot, don't you?" asked Poromon.

"Well, of course I do!" said Kazu. "Ryo's really experienced as a Tamer and a Digidestined. He's been through so much and he's so strong! I could only wonder what he would have been like in the TV show!"

"You sound like you're a fan of Digimon," said Yolei.

"Deep down, I always have been," said Kazu, a faint look in his eyes. "I always wished for a Digimon of my own so I could be a Digidestined. And when I got Kokuwamon, I vowed to be the best Tamer I could be."

"And I vowed to be the best Digimon partner Kazu could ask for!" Kokuwamon said, a clawed hand held up.

"The best, huh?" asked Yolei. "You mean you want to be better than Ryo and the others?"

"I know I can't be," Kazu said with a shake of his head. "I know I can't be as strong as someone like Ryo or Takato, but I want to reach my full potential, show the others what I can do!"

"Kazu, my room's ready for you!" called Yolei's older brother Mantarou from the living room.

"All right!" Kazu stood up off the floor and opened the door slightly, looking everywhere before nodding to Kokuwamon. The robot Digimon tiptoed through the hall, though he nearly tripped several times, but he managed to get into the other bedroom without being noticed.

"Show the others, huh?" Yolei asked quietly, looking down at her D-3. She admitted, the last few times in the Digital World, she had done little to nothing of note, except destroy Control Spires and get kidnapped, and frankly, it seemed embarrassing to her. Hearing Kazu's words lit a fire in her, giving her a desire to show the others what she could do as well.

"Oh, I'll show them as well," Yolei said, a confident smile on her face.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Itsumo no Seikatsu 2)

"Cody…do you want to play?"

"No, Suzie," Cody sighed, swinging his kendo stick down. The brown-haired boy was doing some kendo practice to calm himself after a stressful day, but it was difficult due to his mind continuing drifting to the events with Ken, the meeting with the Tamers, and having to house Suzie for a while as the place Henry was staying at was not big enough.

This was hard for Cody for several reasons. The first reason was having to come up with a story for his mother about who Suzie was and where she came from, as well as why she would be staying at their apartment for the foreseeable future. Cody hated lying to his mother. He would tell his grandfather the truth tomorrow, but he wasn't sure if he would believe it or not.

The second reason was because he found Suzie…somewhat bothersome. The nine-year-old girl was constantly asking Cody to play with her, and he continued telling her no. Whenever she asked why, Cody would tell her he just didn't want to play.

"But why don't you want to play? And don't say you just don't want to."

"Because I…" Cody started before sighing heavily. This would definitely take some getting used to. "Because I'm not like most kids Suzie. I don't play games much."

"Well, I think you should," said Suzie, who was playing with Lopmon and Upamon on Cody's bed. "A kid your age shouldn't be so serious all the time." Cody sighed upon hearing Suzie's words. He often heard those words from his grandfather, who often told him to not be so rigid.

"You're just saying that because you're not serious," he said, looking over to the young girl. "Ever since we got home Suzie, I've been thinking about what our next move will be against Ken and his enslaved Digimon. I've been thinking about important things, and all you've been doing is asking me to play with you, and you tried to dress Upamon in a baby bonnet."

"I wanted to show him my old Princess Pretty-Pants routine," Suzie said innocently, making Upamon back away anxiously.

"I'm not sure I want to know what that routine is."

"Trust me, it's not a pretty sight," Lopmon said with a sigh.

"Suzie, do you even know what's at stake?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

"I do," Suzie said, her face suddenly turning serious. "I know how dangerous Ken could be as the Digimon Emperor in the TV show. And considering this is an alternate dimension, I'm not sure if he's as dangerous in the show, or if he's even more dangerous. But I know that the fate of the Digital World is at hand. And I know if Ken conquers it, he could try and do the same to this world as well. I've seen my dimension suffer from a dangerous threat before…and it was far more dangerous than a human being corrupted by a dark Digimon."

"What was this threat?" asked Cody.

"It was called the D-Reaper," said Lopmon, her face just as grave as Suzie's. "Trust me Cody, that's all you should know about it right now." Cody looked from both Suzie and Lopmon, and judging from how grim they looked, this D-Reaper they spoke of was definitely something they didn't like to talk about.

"I see…" he muttered.

"I was still young when the D-Reaper attacked," continued Suzie. "I didn't understand much back then, but when Lopmon came back and I got older, I realized how important and serious it was to be a Tamer, but I also knew it was important as well to have fun and play games as well."

"It's all right to think about what we should do next regarding the Digital World Cody, but you shouldn't be thinking about it all the time," said Lopmon. "I learned from Suzie that it's all right to play games once in a while, just as long as you're still committed to something important, and that includes your Digidestined duties, as well as your kendo practice."

"Speaking of which, do you think you could teach me kendo sometime, Cody?" asked Suzie.

"Um…I guess so, but you should really ask my grandfather. He's much better at this than I am."

"Oh…okay…" Suzie said, slightly disappointed about Cody turning her down.

"Suzie, I think we should get to bed now," said Lopmon. "It's late, and by now, Henry or your mother would have told you to get to bed."

"All right," Suzie sighed, a little irritated from her partner's words. "Well, see you in the morning Cody." Picking up Lopmon in her arms, Suzie exited the bedroom, leaving Cody alone with Upamon.

"You know, she may come off as annoying sometimes, but I think Suzie's a really nice girl Cody. I think you guys could get along well."

"I don't know, Upamon…" Cody said, changing into his pajamas and sliding into bed. The brown-haired boy thought about what Suzie and Lopmon said about being able to maintain other duties while still being able to have fun once in a while.

'How do I do that?' he thought to himself. He had been serious for most of his life ever since his father died. Even though he often felt at ease with Yolei in his life, as well as Upamon and the other Digidestined, he still considered himself an odd one out for the Digidestined.

'Maybe Suzie's right…' he thought to himself before finally going to sleep.

* * *

(Play Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"It's been so long since I've last seen Odaiba in this dimension. I've seen it before in the Tamers' dimension, but it doesn't feel the same, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Davis and Ryo stood together on the balcony outside Davis's bedroom. DemiVeemon and Monodramon sat on Davis's bed, catching up with each other and thinking about the old days. "But Ryo, what about your family in Kyoto? Shouldn't you see them again?"

"I don't know yet Davis," said Ryo, looking down. "How exactly do you reveal to your family that you've been alive for three years, when they think you may be dead?"

"I…well…" Davis tried to answer, but couldn't.

"Exactly," Ryo said, a pained look on his face. "I just need some time."

"All right," Davis nodded before going to a more important topic. "Anyway…do you think we'll be able to pull Ken out of Millenniummon's control?"

"I know we can do it," Ryo said confidentially. "We just have to get Ken to see sense and pull him back."

"But what if it's not simple?" Davis asked, worried about their options. "What if we can't get through to Ken by making him remember everything we went through together?"

"…then we may have to fight him," Ryo said, his hardening. "It may be the only option left. I don't like it any more than you do Davis, believe me…but it may have to be done."

Davis could only be silent as he went to sleep with DemiVeemon by his side and Ryo and Monodramon occupying the floor.

'I don't know if I can fight Ken…even after everything we've been through, he's still my friend! And friends don't fight each other…' the burgundy-haired boy thought sadly as he drifted off to sleep. Ryo stayed quiet, thinking about what would come soon for Davis. And it was clear it would be harder for Davis here than it was on the show.

'I know Davis can get through this,' he thought. 'He just needs to have more faith and trust in his friends.'

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 12

 **The first day has passed, and so far, things look good for the Digidestined and Tamers, but will they be able to work together to defeat Ken? And what do you think of the living arrangements for the Tamers? And what will Ken do now that Ryo's back?**

 **Another reason why I wanted to do this story is because I've always been a fan of crossovers, and my love for crossovers became bigger this year with the release of Avengers: Infinity War, which I think is not only the best superhero movie of all time, but the best crossover movie ever. Have you seen Infinity War? And if you have, what did you think of it? What part did you find the most awesome? The most funny? And the most sad?**

 **Also, I've started a Digimon Fanfiction forum surrounding the topic of rewriting Digimon Adventure tri. If you're interested in that, go to Forums on the Digimon Fanfiction page, and the last page has "Digimon Adventure tri Rewritten". Go there, and feel free to post how you would rewrite tri.**

 **Next time on Digimon Adventure Tamers: The Override of the Dark Rings**


	13. Chapter 13: The Override of the Rings

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Here we go, the first full day of the Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers working together. What's going to happen and how will it go down? Let's find out.**

 **Also, I now have more than 70 reviews on this story. I said in Chapter 11 that if I got more than 60 reviews, I would put in a special treat in Chapter 13 at the beginning and end. This treat is how I think the opening and ending for this story would go if it was an anime series. The beginning song is The Biggest Dreamer, which I think is the best Digimon Japanese opening, and the ending is Days -Aijou to Nichijou-, just like the second half of Tamers. Tell me what you think of the opening and ending in the reviews.**

The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size

(The opening begins with Guilmon's silhouette roaring before zooming out to Takato letting out a scream and running)

Wanna be the biggest dreamer

Zensokuryoku de/Running full speed through

Mirai mo ima mo kake nukero/Both the future and the present

(The camera zooms out more to see Takato running with Tai, Davis, Rika, Henry, TK, Rika, Kari, Matt and others. Agumon, Veemon and Guilmon dash past the camera as the characters turn to the screen. Multiple shots of Tai, Davis and Takato are shown before the logo appears with Calumon playing on it)

 **DIGIMON ADVENTURE TAMERS**

Sou boku wa ki zuitan da/That's right, I've realized it,

Zutto shukudai wasureteta/I forgot to do my homework

(Tai and Davis are walking in the Digital World and turn around. Zoom on Davis with a look of shock on his face as the camera shows the Digimon Emperor flanked by Stingmon and several Digimon. Millenniummon's silhouette appears behind him)

Sore wa hitotsu no nazo nazo nazo/That's one puzzle, puzzle, puzzle,

(The sky splits open to reveal Takato, Rika and Henry dropping down from the sky with their Digimon and landing on the ground)

"Boku wa dare nan darou?"/"Who am I?"

(Ryo and Cyberdramon appear in an area that zooms out to reveal a forest in the Digital World)

SURAIDINGU shite surimuketa/Even if I slide

Hiza itakutatte ne/And skin my knees

(Tai raises his Digivice in the air while Davis does the same with his D-3 and Takato with his D-Ark. The other Tamers and Digidestined appear behind them, raising their Digivices in the air as well.)

Sugu tachiagaranakya/I've gotta stand back up,

CHANSU wa nigete yuku wakatteru sa/I know my chance will run away

(Agumon slashes at the screen while Greymon, MetalGreymon and WarGreymon appear behind him. Veemon makes a motion like he's performing a headbutt while ExVeemon, Paildramon and Imperialdramon appear behind him. Guilmon spins around once while Growlmon, WarGrowlmon and Gallantmon appear behind him. The two Earths slowly approach each other as a bright light consumes the screen)

Big and bigger, biggest dreamer!

Yume miru koto ga subete hajimari/Dreaming is the start of everything

Sore ga kotae daro/That's the answer

Dare yori tooku e tonde miseru yo/I'll fly farther than anyone

Subete no asu wo tsuranuite/Through all the tomorrows

(A silhouette of Tai and Agumon sitting and relaxing together is shown while Agumon is seen firing his Pepper Breath, replaced with Greymon striking something with his tail, MetalGreymon firing his Trident Arm, and WarGreymon standing tall. Davis and Veemon are running together towards something as Veemon is shown performing his Vee-Headbutt, ExVeemon firing his X-Laser, Paildramon firing his Desperado Blaster, and Imperialdramon glaring at the screen. Takato and Guilmon are sitting back-to-back while Guilmon fires his Pyro Sphere, Growlmon fires his Exhaust Flame, WarGrowlmon attacks with his blades, and Gallantmon prepares to attack with his lance and shield.)

Wanna be the biggest dreamer!

Zensokuryoku de/Running full speed through

(Tai, Davis and Takato each take off their goggles, placing them on their heads)

Mirai mo ima mo kake nukero/Both the future and the present

(Meiko and Meicoomon are seen walking together with the Hypnos building behind them while Dagomon, Daemon and Apocalymon appear behind them. Calumon pops up and flips backwards, taking flight with his wings over a massive grassy field where the Digidestined and the Tamers stand together with their Digimon partners, holding their Digivices up high. Opening ends)

(Play Digimon Tamers Aban)

Reuniting with the Digidestined, Ryo brought his old friends to Primary Village in File Island, where the Digidestined met the Tamers for the first time ever. There, Ryo told the two teams about Millenniummon being his Digimon partner, and a Dark Spore from Millenniummon turning Ken into the evil Digimon Emperor. Now, the Tamers are living with the Digidestined in Odaiba. What awaits for the two combined teams in the future?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Override of the Dark Rings

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

Kari felt ice cold water on her feet. Opening her eyes and looking down, she saw gray, mushy sand between her toes, and white froth from receding waves around them. She was on the beach, and it confused her greatly. She didn't remember leaving her apartment and going to the beach in the middle of the night, while still wearing her pink pajamas.

Looking back up, Kari took in her surroundings, and what she saw made fear grip her heart. Across the shore were houses and fences that were splintered in ruins, and the only sounds that filled the air was the howling of the wind and the breaking of waves. And when she looked up, she noticed the sky, just like the sand, was a dull gray; in fact, everything around her was shades of gray, but the ocean before her was as black as tar. And when she sniffed the air, it took everything she had to not gag and cough. The air stunk of decay and bodily fluids. Wherever she was, it was definitely not the Odaiba beachfront.

The wind blew past her, and she gasped upon feeling the coldness of it. Whatever this place was, she didn't like it and she wanted to get out of here. She tried to move, but her legs refused to budge, as well as her arms and even her neck. She was frozen to the spot.

'What's going on? Why can't I move?!' she thought in panic. Her bad feeling became even worse when she noticed the water bubbling in the distance and something rising out of the depths. Kari couldn't make it out clearly, as it was shrouded in darkness, but the figure was tall and hideously shaped that rose to the sky, completely covering Kari in its shadow. The stench in the air became worse when the figure breathed. Its breath was deep and hollow.

Kari's stomach froze when she saw the figure and her fingernails dug into her palms, breaking the skin slightly. Then, in the deepest recesses of her mind, a low, soft, dangerous voice spoke to her, saying only one name.

"Kari…come…" The bearer of Light wasn't sure, but she knew the voice was coming from the creature before her.

"Come to me, Kari…" the figure said, looking down at Kari with two violent eyes that glowed like rubies. Kari's mouth opened in a silent scream as the creature raised its arms in the air, ready to grab her.

"I can see your desire for strength…come with me, and I shall make you strong!"

* * *

"No…NO!" Kari screamed, finally finding her voice. Shooting up like a gunshot, Kari's eyes only saw darkness for a few moments before they adjusted and she saw that she was still in her bedroom, in her home. Sweat trickled down from her face and shoulders, dampening her pink pajama top. Squeezing her blanket to make sure it was real, Kari sighed in relief, realizing she just had a really bad dream.

"Kari, what's wrong?" Looking up, Kari saw Gatomon sitting next to her, completely wide awake.

"Gatomon…" she whispered.

"Yes, it's me," said the white cat, eyes filled with worry. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," said Kari after thinking for a moment. "Just a bad dream…"

"Ah," Gatomon said sadly. "So you're not the only one."

"You too?" Kari asked in slight surprise.

"Yes…" Kari stayed quiet for a minute before speaking up again.

"Was it…about…"

"Yes…it was about Wizardmon again," Gatomon sniffed sadly. "I don't know why these dreams have been happening nearly every night now. I used to only have them once every few months, but now…"

"Oh, Gatomon…" Kari whispered, pulling her partner into a warm hug. Gatomon sniffled again, happy to have a partner like Kari in her life. But she was also sad as her first and closest friend had died to ensure that they stay together.

"I just wish…he could come back…"

"So do I, Gatomon…" Kari whispered, rocking Gatomon back to sleep. Once she was sure her partner was asleep again, Kari placed her down gently before returning to sleep herself. Even though Gatomon was able to sleep the rest of the night away in peace, Kari had a hard time getting back to sleep.

* * *

In the Digital World, Wormmon looked at his partner with worry. Ever since they had returned to their base from the Valley of Death, Ken had been sitting still in his chair for a long time, not saying a single word or moving an inch.

It unsettled the caterpillar Digimon. Earlier today, Ken had been excited about finally getting revenge on Davis. Everything seemed to be according to plan, but the sudden reappearance of Ryo and Monodramon stopped everything. Deep down, Wormmon was glad that Ryo was back. With the older boy back home, he was hoping Ken could be saved now.

"Ken…it's late. The sun set four hours ago. Shouldn't you be getting home?"

Ken still said nothing, but he did move, which meant to Wormmon that he was still alive. Raising his hand into the air, Ken pressed several buttons that appeared in midair, and moments later, every monitor in the room was filled with an image of a wide-eyed woman with a big smile and a microphone.

"Ken? Are you all right?" Wormmon asked before the reporter began speaking.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

"We're here today to find out who the young boy genius from Tamachi, Ken Ichijouji, really is," she said, moving over to a smirking midnight-haired boy in a gray uniform.

"Oh, I really haven't done anything special," said Ken, a shy smile on his face.

"That's what you say," said the reporter, "but you must be really working hard, yes?"

"No…not really," Ken said with a shrug. "I'm more of a soccer guy, deep down."

"Ah, you're an athlete as well, I see!" said the reporter. "You know Ken, they say prodigies are 1% talent and 99% effort. What do you think of that?"

"I guess that's true," Ken said with a smile.

"By the way, since you're an elementary school student, you must like animals."

"Well…I do, but I can't really have one. My family lives in an apartment building that doesn't allow pets."

"You live in a fairly normal place for a boy genius, don't you think?" the reporter then asked.

"Yes, I'd say I do," Ken replied with a light chuckle.

"You know, in places like America, there's a skipping system that allows children your age to study in college. Now, we don't have that system in Japan, but if we did, would you like to skip ahead?"

"Well…the idea does have some merit…" said Ken. "I do enjoy a little challenge."

"Well folks, that's all the time we have," the reporter said to the viewers before turning back to Ken. "Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Ken."

"No problem." Those were the last words Ken spoke before the screen changed to an advertisement for a fast food restaurant. Ken deactivated the monitors, leaving the room in darkness as he looked down at the floor, remembering the day he did that interview.

"Ken…?" Wormmon asked again, but the Emperor still said nothing as he let his mind drift off.

* * *

"Thanks for letting us speak with you again Ken," the reporter said, placing her hand on Ken's shoulder. "Good luck with your studies."

"Thank you," said Ken. "Any time."

"That was well done, Ken!" a Tamachi teacher said, walking up to Ken as the news crew went away.

"Oh, it was nothing at all sir," Ken replied, turning to the teacher as he brushed his shoulder where the reporter touched him.

"No, it's a great help!" the teacher insisted, coming up to Ken, a book under his arms. "You're definitely doing wonders for our school's reputation."

"Well, I'm glad to be of help," Ken said with a quiet smile. It annoyed him deeply that the principal would suck up to anyone that would make him look good.

"By the way, on a more personal note…" the principal said, leaning down to whisper to Ken. "…I was wondering if you would tutor my daughter? I'd pay, of course, if you were interested."

Ken's eyes narrowed without letting the principal catch him; so that was his game. The young boy had more important matters than tutoring some idiot principal's brain-dead daughter. But he kept up his nice act.

"Thank you sir, but I have to wonder…how old is your daughter?"

"Oh, Yuriko? She's seventeen."

"I'm afraid I have to decline the offer sir," Ken said with another quiet smile. "I don't think I'd be that experienced for tutoring. Plus, given the age difference between us, it could give off the wrong impression."

"Oh, of course!" the principal said with an embarrassed laugh. "I guess I didn't think that through well!"

'Of course you didn't,' Ken thought darkly as a distant bell rang five times, signaling that the time was now 5:00.

"Oh, goodness! Is that the time?" the principal asked in surprise. "I must be going then…but if I could ask one more thing?"

"Yes?" Ken asked politely.

"An autograph…for my daughter?" the principal asked, offering the book and a pen to the boy.

Ken smiled wryly; of course it was for his daughter. Taking the items, Ken wrote down an encouraging message for the girl before signing his name.

"There we go," Ken offered the book back to the principal. "Will this do?"

"Oh, yes of course!" the principal said, happily accepting the book and reading the message. "So this is the autograph of Ken Ichijouji…she'll love this!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

'Yeah…she…' Ken thought, walking out of the park with a scoff. Once he reached his apartment, he opened the door as quietly as he could without being detected, but he could have sworn his mother had enhanced hearing, as she poked her head from out of the kitchen entrance.

"Oh, Ken! Welcome home! You're just in time for dinner!"

"Good," Ken muttered, closing the door behind him and sitting down at the table, looking at the meal.

"We saw you on TV just now," his mother said, offering him a plate of food. He accepted it mechanically. "You were at the park, right? I should have been there."

"That was a good one," his father said with a chuckle. "That 1% effort and 99% talent thing, I'm telling you…"

Ken took a few bites before setting his chopsticks down and standing up from the table. "Excuse me, please."

"Ken, what's wrong?" asked his mother.

"Nothing," Ken muttered before walking out of the apartment, both his parents exchanging curious looks.

Walking up several flights of stairs, Ken stepped up on the terrace of the building, taking in the view of Tamachi. The wind blew his hair as he stared out at the buildings, hearing car horns, dogs barking, radios, and other bothersome things. He wished he could silence it all with a wave of his hand.

Leaning over the railing, he looked down at the people below the street with a sneer. At this height, they looked like little ants. Insects that spread filth and disease wherever they went. It made him, the Emperor of the Digital World, sick to his stomach.

"INSECTS!" he shrieked, clamping the railings tightly. He decided then and there, it was time to move out.

* * *

"Ken?" Wormmon asked again to his unresponsive partner. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just peachy Wormmon," Ken snapped, his voice slightly scratchy due to not speaking for hours.

"It's getting late," Wormmon said, relieved to know he was still talking. "Shouldn't you be getting home?"

"I'm not going home," Ken said, standing up from his chair and going over to a computer terminal. "There's nothing left for me there. Besides…now that Ryo has returned, things have become more complicated."

"So, does that mean you're now thinking about lots of complicated things that I can't understand?" Wormmon asked innocently.

"Of course you wouldn't understand," Ken said irritably, not pausing from his typing as a new plan came up in his mind.

* * *

Morning came upon Tamachi, and it was quiet in the Ichijouji apartment. Ken's mother looked out of the kitchen and down the hall where her son's bedroom door remained closed. She was worried; it had been two days since the soccer game he lost, and he hadn't come out since then.

"Nothing today?" her husband asked, looking up from his newspaper.

"No," she said, a sad frown appearing on her face. "I'm worried…"

"Something has to be wrong," he said, standing up and looking out the hallway with her. "I don't think it's the soccer game, he wouldn't be that down about it."

"I don't know at all…" she said sadly. "I'm his mother, so I should know what's bothering him…but I don't. And it makes me feel bad."

"Parent-teacher conferences were last week, right?" he asked, getting a nod from his wife. "Did you talk to his teachers?"

"I did, and…" she bit her lip before continuing. "They said to let him deal with whatever's bugging him on his own."

"What?!" he asked in surprise and anger.

"Well, they said he's so smart, they don't know what he's thinking…they've practically given up on him."

"How irresponsible," he growled lowly, angry at the thought of his son being forsaken by the school system. "That's it, I'm breaking that door down!"

"What?!" she asked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"If the school system won't help our son, then we'll help him!"

"But to go that far?!" she asked as he started running towards the door. To his surprise, the door flew open with a crash, as it hadn't even been locked. The room was empty and dark, the only light shining from the computer.

"Ken?" he called for his son, checking the bed.

"Ken!" he called again, checking the closet. Walking out to the balcony, he saw that all that was on the balcony was a pile of junk that was always there.

"Ken, where are you, son?!" He bit his lip, looking down at the street nervously.

His wife entered the room, and noticing the glowing computer screen, she walked over to it, and what she found made her gasp in shock.

"Honey…the computer!"

"What? What is it?!" Running back into the room, he looked down at the screen, and he felt his blood turn cold when he read the words on the screen.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Zetsubou)

I have no further use for this world.

Farewell, you little gnats.

Ken Ichijouji.

"What…what is this?!" he gasped once he read the message. His wife sank to the floor and began to wail uncontrollably.

"Why…why?!"

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

Over in Odaiba, the school day started, and new students were starting there today. As the Tamers were still children, they still had to go to school, much to the annoyance of Kazu and Kenta ("I feel your pain", Davis told them, with Tai agreeing.). After arranging things, the Tamers would be going to Odaiba school as transfer students. Takato, Henry, Rika, Jeri, Kazu and Kenta were in the same class with Davis, Kari and TK. Ryo, being fifteen, was in the same class that Tai, Matt and Sora were in. Suzie was in Cody's class, and Ai and Mako were in first grade.

Another problem that came though were the Tamers' Digimon. Terriermon, Lopmon, Betamon and Calumon were small enough to hide in the computer lab with the other Digimon from Davis's team, and Renamon was able to fade away into her surroundings to avoid detection, appearing whenever Rika called for her. Unfortunately, Guilmon, Kokuwamon and Monodramon were too big to bring to the school. However, Izzy talked with his mother and the three of them could stay there for the day whenever school was in session. For most of their part, the Tamers said little to nothing during the school day, since the lessons at their school were different than the lessons here.

* * *

"'And thus, the country was saved,'" Cody read from a book to his class, which were learning English now. "'With the downfall of the king, peace had returned to the country. The people were deeply saddened by their king's downfall. That sadness remained forever with the people, and it became a legend in time.'"

"Thank you Cody," the teacher said, turning to the blackboard. "Now, as you heard from Cody, English literature can be different than the spoken language. The extra rules for writing are as follows…"

"Geez, Cody, could you make it any more boring?" whispered Suzie, who sat next to the brown-haired boy. The young girl looked bored out of her mind, almost ready to fall asleep. She never had classes like these back home.

"It's not boring, it's informative!" Cody hissed. "And it's important to learn!"

"Sure…whatever," she sighed, paying attention to the teacher again. Cody sighed in annoyance, reiterating his point from last night that it would be a while to get used to Suzie.

* * *

"All right, we take this fluid…" Yolei held up a beaker in her science class. "Next we mix it up with the other fluid in a beaker, and then heat it up with an alcohol lamp…and then, we wait three minutes!" Said time passed, and the yellow concoction in her beaker began emitting purple smoke in ring-shaped puffs.

"Yolei, I don't think you got it right," said one of her classmates. "Your concoction is yellow, and everybody else's is blue."

"Wait, what?" Yolei asked, looking around the classroom to see everybody else's beakers were filled with blue liquids.

"Wait…what did I do wrong?" Yolei picked up her book and flipped through it until she realized her mistake.

"Uh, oh…" That was all Yolei could say before her liquid began bubbling violently and the ring smokes came out even faster.

"HIT THE DECK!" yelled one of the students. Yolei could only stare in slack-jawed disbelief before her concoction exploded, blowing Yolei's hair back and covering her glasses and teeth with black smoke.

'Great…' Yolei thought abysmally as she went over to the supply cabinet to clean up her mess and herself. She normally was better focused in chemistry, but the revelation that the boy she completely fawned over was driven mad by a dark force grinded her gears to no end.

'That Millenniummon…if he wasn't inside Monodramon, I'd kick him in the groin for what he did to Ken!' she thought, scrubbing the table furiously before cleaning off herself.

* * *

In the school gymnasium, Davis, TK, Takato, Henry, Kazu and Kenta were in their gym clothes, having worked up a sweat with exercising throughout half of the gym. The other half of the gym was occupied by the girls, who were practicing dance routines. Kari and Jeri enjoyed being able to dance, as it allowed them to blow off steam after a stressful day of school. Rika stood off in a corner, not doing much except watching the classes proceed.

"Rika doesn't seem like much of a dancer," said Patamon. The winged Digimon had snuck into the gym with Gatomon, DemiVeemon, Terriermon and Betamon to watch their partners' class from the rafters above.

"Yeah, she's just been standing there ever since the class started!" said DemiVeemon. A gust of wind was heard behind them, and the Digimon turned around to see Renamon sitting cross-legged. DemiVeemon, Gatomon and Patamon let out a short yelp, but Terriermon and Betamon barely reacted.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Renamon no Theme)

"How did you do that?!"

"She's mysterious like that," Terriermon answered Gatomon's question.

"Rika is not an ordinary human girl," Renamon answered, looking down at her still partner. "She is, how the humans say, a tomboy."

"Oh, you mean like Sora?" asked DemiVeemon, having learned that terminology from Davis, who knew Sora well.

"Yes," Renamon said with a nod. "She obviously thinks dancing is a foolish activity that she does not like. She probably wants to play basketball. And even then…she would probably feel out of place."

"Out of place?" asked Patamon.

"In our dimension, Rika goes to a private all-girls' school, due to the money her mother makes as a model," answered Renamon. "She's never really been in a school with both genders."

"Oh…" DemiVeemon said, looking down again when he heard something slamming against metal. The little dragon's eyes went to the boys' half of the gym, where basketballs were being thrown up, some hitting the metal hoop while others went in.

"The boy's game is about to begin!" he said, getting everybody's attention. The Digimon turned their attention to the game, and the girls stopped dancing to watch as well. Rika moved away from her place in the corner, as she wanted to watch as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Teki wo Yattsukero!)

The boys split into two teams of five. Davis, Takato and Kazu were on the team that wore all white jerseys, while TK, Henry and Kenta's team wore red vests over their jerseys.

"And…begin!" the coach dropped the ball in the middle of the court and TK grabbed the ball, running past the opposing team as he bounced it past the other players. It was a clear path to the net, and he leapt up and threw the ball. The ball soared through the air, hit the backboard…and bounced off the rim without going into the net.

"Darn it!" TK said in frustration. Henry ran past TK, and scooped up the ball from Kazu, tossing it up and getting two points for their team.

"You all right, TK?" asked Kenta. "You seem out of it."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," TK muttered, his mind drifting to last night's conversation regarding Ken and Millenniummon. He suspected that the Digimon Emperor was a Digidestined corrupted by darkness, and now that it was confirmed, it made his blood boil about the forces of darkness brainwashing a Digidestined into becoming evil.

"Kazu, I'm open!" yelled Takato. Kazu tossed the ball to the goggled boy and Takato tossed the ball to Davis, who managed to score a three pointer by putting his soccer skills to use.

"Nice shot, Davis!" Kari cheered loudly for her boyfriend while Jeri applauded Takato's teamwork. Davis laughed and gave a thumbs-up before heading back into the game.

"Kenta, here!" called TK. Kenta grabbed the ball and ran past the other players. Takato stood in his way, and the glasses-wearing boy weaved through, but he felt his ankle snag Takato's leg, giving out, and he hit the floor, allowing Kazu to grab the ball and score for his team, getting the victory for the white team.

"Kenta!" Betamon gasped, seeing his partner clutching his ankle in pain.

"Is he all right?" DemiVeemon asked worriedly.

"Let's hope so," Gatomon said as Takato and Kazu went over to their friend and helped him up.

"Kenta, are you okay buddy?" asked Kazu.

"No…I think I twisted my ankle when I tried getting past Takato," Kenta groaned, unable to put much weight on his ankle. Takato looked down at Kenta's foot with a guilty look on his face.

"Aw, man…sorry Kenta…"

"Not your fault," Kenta said, sitting down at the bleachers. "I guess I should have been paying more attention."

"So, what do you guys think of our school so far?" TK asked, approaching the three boys with Henry.

"Not bad," Kazu said with a shrug. "It's a little boring, though. Your homeroom teacher makes Miss Asaji look exciting in comparison."

"I take it Miss Asaji is your teacher back home?" asked Davis, who had come up to the Tamers with Kari, Jeri and Rika.

"Yeah, she's not bad…although I swear she comes to work with a hangover half the time," said Takato.

"Okay, too much information!" said Kari, getting everybody to chuckle.

"They're definitely like their TV counterparts," Terriermon noted to Betamon and Renamon, watching the scene below them.

"Indeed," said Renamon. "But yet, they may also be different from them." The bell rang to signal the end of class and the school day, and the children headed to the locker rooms to change, Davis and Takato helping Kenta, as the black-haired boy's ankle was still sore.

* * *

Ryo let out a sigh as the school day came to an end. It was a strenuous day and the Legendary Tamer barely paid attention to half the stuff that was going on in class. His mind was mostly on what the next move in the Digital World would be. If he was correct, then Ken would no longer be in the Human World, but now taking up permanent residence in the Digital World, which meant he would be able to work faster.

Today would be the day that Ken's disappearance would be discovered by his parents…and the day Ken would also kidnap Agumon and force him to Digivolve to SkullGreymon. The brown-haired boy's face was set in a grim expression. He knew Agumon was in the Human World, which meant Ken wouldn't be able to get to him…but what was to stop Ken from coming back to the Human World to grab Agumon?

Once the bell rang, Ryo immediately got out of his seat and looked for Tai, finding the brown-haired boy in the hallway talking with Sora.

"Hey, Tai!" Ryo ran forward to greet the messy-haired boy. "Where's Agumon at?"

"Agumon?" asked Tai. "Oh, he's at home at my apartment. I figured he would be all right there, since I can't really take him to school."

"And Biyomon's sleeping in a tree outside," said Sora.

"All right…" Ryo nodded while thinking to himself, 'Good…Agumon should be safe…but just in case…'

"Anyway, Sora and I both have soccer practice today and we need to get going," said Tai, getting Ryo's attention again. "What will you do?"

"I plan on heading to the Digital World with Davis's team and any Tamers that will be able to go," Ryo said, his face set in a grim expression. "Things are going to be harder now."

"Why? What's happening?" asked Sora.

"In the show, Ken bolted for the Digital World and left the Human World behind when his secret as the Digimon Emperor came out," answered Ryo, getting gasps of shock from the bearers of Courage and Love. "Now that he's taken up permanent residence in the Digital World…"

"…he'll be able to take over the Digital World at a much quicker pace!" Tai said, realizing the problem as well.

"Exactly," said Ryo. "We may have to make some moves as well, Tai."

"You mean we may have to take up permanent residence in the Digital World as well?" Sora asked worriedly.

"Possibly," Ryo answered. Tai and Sora remained quiet and thought over the possibility of staying in the Digital World for a long time again. It was one thing before since time was much faster in the Digital World, but now that the Digital World and the Human World were both aligned, it was now impossible.

"We'll have to work out the details later," Ryo then said, knowing what his old friends were thinking. "In the meantime, I should get over to Izzy's place, since we agreed to meet there today."

"Is something happening today?" asked Tai. "I know I shouldn't be asking this, but did anything happen on this day in the TV show?" Ryo thought for a moment and decided to tell him.

"Agumon?!" Tai yelled in shock. "Ken's going after Agumon?!"

"I don't know yet," said Ryo. "It was easy for Ken to get him in the show since Agumon stayed in the Digital World, but now that he's in the Human World, he may be safe. Although, since Ken has a D-3 that can open up a Digital Gate on any computer…" Tai's blood ran cold when he realized what that could mean.

"I've got to get home, and fast!" he said. "Sora, tell the coach that a family emergency came up for me!"

"Go, Tai," Sora insisted, knowing how important Agumon was to her best friend. Tai turned around and ran down the hallway. The red-haired girl watched with a worried expression, hoping things were all right at Tai's apartment.

"Let's hope he's in time," Ryo said before heading down to meet up with the others, leaving Sora to her worries.

* * *

In the Kamiya apartment, Yuuko Kamiya was cleaning up the apartment before she settled down for a quiet afternoon to herself…or rather, herself and Agumon. The yellow reptile was snoozing quietly in Tai's room, which is why the apartment wasn't filled with the sounds of Agumon watching TV or eating something.

'Funny how someone as loud as Agumon can be so quiet when sleeping,' she thought, entering Tai's bedroom to gather the dirty laundry. Looking over to where Tai's hamper was, she sighed when she saw all the clothes strewn around the floor.

"That boy," she muttered, going over to the hamper and picking up the clothes. "He's got a hamper. Why doesn't he use it?"

"He does use it, but he usually throws his clothes," said a voice, making Yuuko turn to see Agumon had woken up. "Of course, he can be a lousy shot."

"Except for soccer," Yuuko chuckled, picking up the hamper and walking out of the bedroom, closing the door to give Agumon some privacy. Had she stayed longer, she would have noticed the computer screen, which was turned on as Agumon was surfing the Internet earlier, light up like a Christmas tree.

Agumon did, and he walked over to the screen, curiosity taking him over when he saw what was on the screen.

"A Digital Gate…?"

Yuuko walked over to the washer that was in the apartment and began tossing clothes in, trying to decipher what was dark and what was light. Her process was suddenly interrupted when she heard a loud crashing noise from Tai's bedroom, and Agumon yelling.

"Get off me! Let me go! PEPPER BREATH!"

"Agumon?!" Yuuko asked, startled at what she heard. "Agumon, what's wrong?" Dropping the shirt she was holding, the brown-haired woman ran for Tai's bedroom and threw the door open, gasping at what she saw.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

A boy, probably Kari's age, with hair like Tai's and a bizarre blue-and-purple outfit and purple glasses stood over Agumon. The orange reptile's hands were bound with rope as well as his legs. Another rope was tied over his snout, muffling his words and preventing him from using his fire attack. A burn mark on the ceiling indicated that the Pepper Breath Yuuko heard Agumon yell out hit there.

"What are you doing to Agumon?!" Yuuko yelled angrily, startling the boy. "How did you get in here?!"

"Damn it…!" cursed the boy. "I didn't think anyone else would be here!"

"Answer me!" Yuuko yelled. "What are you doing with Agumon?!"

"If you must know, I have plans for Agumon," said the boy. "And I will not leave without him!"

"You are leaving without him," Yuuko said firmly, marching over to the boy. Agumon tried to yell something to Yuuko, but the rope over his mouth muffled his words.

Before Yukko could advance any further, she felt something sticky hit her legs, wrapping around them and making her lose her balance. The brown-haired woman yelped when she hit the floor. Looking down at her feet, Yuuko saw they were wrapped up in something white and sticky.

"STICKY NET!" yelled out a voice. Yuuko gasped when more of the white sticky stuff flew forward and wrapped around Yuuko's arms, pinning them to her side. Struggling in the webbing, Yuuko saw a green caterpillar standing off to the side.

"Excellent work, Wormmon," the boy said, picking up Agumon and slinging him over his shoulder. "Now let's return to the Digital World."

"You are making a big mistake, kid!" Yuuko yelled looking up at the kid as best she could. "Once my son finds out what you've done, he's going to teach you…MM!" Whatever else she was going to say, it was cut off when Wormmon fired another glob of webbing from his maw that covered Yuuko's mouth.

"Correction…I'll be teaching your son a lesson, as well as your daughter," the boy chuckled as he held up his black D-3 and the screen lit up, sucking in the boy, Wormmon and the bound Agumon, leaving Yuuko struggling on the floor alone, worrying about how Tai would react when he found out that Agumon had been kidnapped right in front of her.

* * *

Once school had ended, the Tamers had met up at Izzy's apartment with Davis's team and Izzy. Once everyone had gathered, Ryo told them about Ken leaving the Human World.

"Ken's living in the Digital World now?!" asked a shocked Yolei.

"Yeah, and it won't be long before his parents find out and file a missing person report," said Takato. "It should be on the news tonight."

"Aw, man…his poor parents," Yolei said sadly. Davis looked down sadly before turning to look at Kari. He was surprised to see Kari had a far-off, scared look on her face; one he rarely saw on her.

"Kari, are you OK?" he asked, placing a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Huh? What?" Kari looked up with a start, then after a moment, let out a small laugh. "Oh…I'm fine Davis, don't worry. I just…didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Yeah, me too…" the goggled boy said, looking downcast. "Anyway, if Ken is in the Digital World now, then he'll be able to make more Control Spires much faster!"

"You're right in that assumption," Henry said, moving over to Izzy's computer and pressing some buttons, bringing up the Digital World grid map. The number of black squares had doubled, indicating Ken's growing domination over the Digital World.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"We're going to need a new plan," said Izzy, his face grim as he turned in his seat. "Davis, Ryo, Takato. Do any of you have suggestions?"

"Well, we could split up into teams," said Takato. "That way, we'll be able to work faster."

"But that work could go to waste if Ken simply rebuilds everything," said Cody. "He seems capable of doing that."

"We'll just see about that," Rika said with a smirk. "I always wanted that little punk to be real so I could knock some sense into him!"

"Take it easy, Rika," said Ryo. "Remember, he's not himself right now."

"Either way…" said Rika.

"And what about Impmon?" asked Ai. "Can we still look for him?"

"I guess we can," said Jeri, her face knit with concern. "But with so many Control Spires…" The brown-haired girl trailed off, wondering what she could possibly do.

"We won't be able to do much today," Yolei said, noticing the time read a quarter to four. "It's getting late..."

"Okay, I think I have an idea," said Davis. "Some of us can go to a random location, scout ahead and destroy a Control Spire, and come right back, while the rest of us go with Ai and Mako to another location to find this Impmon guy. Izzy, give us a location."

"One minute…" Izzy typed furiously on the computer before finding a spot on the outer fringe of blackness. "Here's something; it's called Pyro Pit Prairie."

"We'll go there!" said Davis, gesturing to his team.

"Count us in!" said Takato, standing up with Kazu and Ryo.

"So where can we go?" asked Jeri. Izzy typed again before finding another suitable location.

"It's called Wild West Town."

"We'll take that one," said Rika, looking over to Jeri, Ai, Mako, Kenta and Suzie.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"Suzie, be careful," Henry said to his sister. "I won't be able to come with you. Izzy and I have to finish working on this Digivolution software for the Digivices and D-3s."

"All right!" Suzie said, throwing her hands up in the air. "For God's sake Henry, I'm not five years old anymore!"

"But you certainly still act like it sometimes," replied Terriermon.

"Terriermon…" Henry said with a groan.

"Moumantai!"

"Okay, what does that mean, anyway? Moumantai?" asked Yolei.

"It's Cantonese for 'take it easy'," replied Cody.

"Okay, if that's settled…" Davis held up his D-3. "Digital Gate, open!"

The computer flashed and moments later, Henry, Izzy and their partners remained in the bedroom.

"Why do I get the feeling that something bad may happen?" Tentomon asked nervously.

"Because something bad always happens," said Terriermon, who wasn't joking this time. Henry nodded, knowing Terriermon was serious.

* * *

"Let me out of here!" Agumon yelled, struggling against his chains in the darkness of his cell as Ken and Wormmon stood above him watching.

"No can do Agumon," Ken said with a smirk. "I have need for you." Wormmon shivered, knowing what Ken was planning to do.

"What are you planning to do with me?" Agumon asked as he glared up at the boy. He had a feeling what Ken was planning to do to him, but he still wondered what he was planning to do after he did it.

"You are going to be the most powerful Digimon in my army yet Agumon," Ken grinned, pulling out a Dark Ring from behind his back. "And you will bring about the downfall of your own friends." With one swipe of his arm, Ken sent the Dark Ring flying and it latched on to Agumon's neck. The orange reptile yelled as he felt the ring's programming take him over. Agumon's head slumped down momentarily, until he lifted it again and his eyes opened to reveal blood-red orbs.

"Wormmon! Release Agumon!" Wormmon obeyed his partner, and pressed a button that freed Agumon from his chains.

"Come, Agumon!" Ken motioned to his newest servant. "We have work to do! It will not be long before the Digidestined arrive!" Agumon obeyed and followed Ken and Wormmon outside of the cell.

* * *

The blinding light faded and Rika, Jeri, Ai, Mako, Kenta and the Digimon with them opened their eyes to reveal a small western town in the distance, a massive desert in front of them and fresh, green pastures behind the town.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"So this is Wild West Town," said Kenta. "If I'm right, this was the place the Digidestined went to in Episode 12."

"Yeah, a useless filler episode," Rika muttered before walking forward. "Let's see if Impmon is here. Ai, Mako, pull out your D-Arc and see if Impmon's around here." Ai and Mako nodded, the latter pulling the D-Ark out of his pocket and activating the function to detect Impmon. The screen lit up, and the group waited several moments for a reaction. The words 'DIGIMON NOT DETECTED' lit up on the screen in red letters in moments.

"He's not here…" Ai said dejectedly, Mako looking sad.

"Hey, don't worry," Rika assured the twins, placing her hands on Ai's shoulders while Jeri did the same for Mako. "This is just one area. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Um, speaking of work, can we at least destroy the Control Spire while we're here?" Kenta asked, pointing to a water tower that he knew was a disguised Control Spire. "I don't want our trip here to be a total waste of time."

"Hey, looking for Impmon's not a waste of time!" Mako yelled angrily, making Kenta step back.

"Woah, easy Mako! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Yeah!" said Betamon. "We may not have found Impmon, but we can take down a Control Spire."

"Oh…I see…" Mako said, calming down. "I'm sorry Kenta."

"No, I'm sorry," Kenta said sheepishly. "I guess I didn't say it the right way…"

"All right, let's go then," said Rika. "Kenta, Suzie, come up front with me. Jeri, stay close with us. If we end up getting into a fight, take Calumon and the twins and get to safety."

"You can count on me," Jeri nodded. The Tamers began walking towards the town when a voice rang out from nearby.

"Greetings, humans. I don't think we've ever met before." Stopping at the voice, the Tamers turned to see a red Digimon standing on top of what looked like a broken birdcage. They easily identified the Digimon as an Elecmon with scars on his chest and a sword hanging by his side.

"All right, who are you?" Suzie asked, her hands reaching down for her D-Arc and cards. Elecmon jumped off the birdcage and held his hands up.

"At ease, my friends. I am not here to fight you. As you can see, I am not under the Digimon Emperor's control. And from what I can see, you have Digimon with you, which means you are Digidestined, yes?"

"Yeah, we have Digimon partners, but we're Digimon Tamers," said Rika. "And we're not friends. We've never met before!" Elecmon raised an inquisitive eyebrow before speaking again.

"Regardless, whether you are Digidestined or…Digimon Tamers, as you call yourselves…our goal must be the same: to defeat the Digimon Emperor and free the Digital World from his grasp."

"You're fighting the Digimon Emperor?" asked Renamon. Kenta looked at Elecmon again, taking in his scars and sword before gasping.

"Hey, I heard of you!" the black-haired boy said, getting looks from his fellow Tamers.

"Kenta, what are you talking about?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"Don't you remember what the Elecmon at Primary Village said a few days ago, Rika?" replied Kenta. "He said that there was an Elecmon out there partnered to a Digidestined, and unlike most Elecmon, he had three scars on his chest and a sword! That must be the same Elecmon!"

"What?" Rika exclaimed, looking at Elecmon again and realizing Kenta was right when she saw the scars on the red mammal's chest.

"Your friend speaks true," Elecmon said with a nod. "I am not your enemy." As Elecmon spoke, Jeri looked down at the Elecmon's sword, and she felt her heart tighten slightly when she noticed the sword he carried looked very much like the sword her partner Leomon once carried. Forcing down the negative feelings building up, Jeri asked, "So you really are partnered to a Digidestined that was around before the eight Digidestined?"

"If you want to call her that, then yes," Elecmon said, his eyes lingering on Jeri for a few moments before looking back at the Tamers. "Anyway, I am glad to see some help has come. The Digimon Emperor placed the Control Spire here in Wild West Town three days again and I've been here attempting to destroy it."

"All by yourself?" asked Kenta. "Aren't there any other Digimon in this town?"

"Only two, Starmon and Deputymon," said Elecmon. "Starmon is under the Emperor's control, and Deputymon proved too wild to control."

"So where's Deputymon then?" asked Rika. "If he's not being controlled by the Digimon Emperor, then he can help us."

"I tried to tell him that, but Deputymon seems more content with playing cards," Elecmon said, turning around and heading into the town. "Follow me."

"Do we trust him?" Rika asked to her partner.

"I believe so," said Renamon. "I sense no hostile thoughts from him, and he speaks the truth about being a partner Digimon. However…"

"What?" Rika inquired further, noticing the thoughtful look on Renamon's face.

"There seems to be something…familiar about him," said the kitsune Digimon. "Like…like I've seen him before from somewhere."

"Where?" Rika asked, interested.

"…I cannot say," said Renamon, her eyes cast on Elecmon. Rika looked over at Elecmon as well with interest.

* * *

Moments later Elecmon led the Tamers into a small house where they saw a gun-shaped Digimon with arms and legs, and cowboy clothes on, sitting at a table with some playing cards in his hands. The gun-shaped Digimon looked up when he saw the arrivals.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Power of Earth ~Iori no Theme~)

"Well, what do we have here? The Elecmon warrior is back, and he's got some new rodeo partners," the gun said in a Southern drawl that would remind one of the cowboys seen in the American western movies.

"A talking gun?!" Mako asked in surprise. Suzie pulled out her D-arc to scan the Digimon before them.

"Deputymon. A Vaccine Mutant-type Digimon, Champion level. His sense of justice is as strong as his love for gambling. His special attack is Justice Bullet, where he shoots a massive bullet from his chest."

"Yes sirree, that's who I am," said the Digimon, shuffling the cards before him. "Deputymon's the name, and justice is my game…although I'm not one to say no to a good game of poker. Do you ladies want to play? I don't let boys play because they cheat."

"Hey!" Mako, Kenta and Betamon said indignantly while Elecmon simply rolled his eyes and Calumon laughed.

"Mako and Kenta don't have it in them to cheat!" Ai said, not happy about Deputymon's accusation. "Besides, you're a boy, so doesn't that mean you cheat as well?"

"Ooh, nice one, Ai!" Rika said with a laugh.

"I don't need to cheat to win at poker," Deputymon said simply, laying some cards on the table. "So, who wants to play?"

"We're not here to play poker," said Renamon. "We're here to destroy the Control Spire that resides in this area."

"Well, good luck to you then, missy," Deputymon said, propping his feet up on the table. "You'll have to get past Starmon, and he's one tough varmint to beat. I tried…and I got beaten badly. The only reason I'm not wearing one of those Dark Rings is because nobody controls me, except for me!"

"Haven't you tried fighting him again?" asked Kenta. "It sounds like you haven't fought him more than once. We could use some help against Starmon, and any other Digimon in this town."

"Hey, my philosophy is one and done," said Deputymon. "You fight one time, and no matter what the outcome is, one fight's enough." Rika looked annoyed at Deputymon's refusal to fight.

"So, how about it?" Deputymon held out several cards for someone to take. "Any of you girls interested?"

Rika huffed and made to move towards Deputymon, but she was surprised when Jeri stormed over to the gun-shaped Digimon and swatted the cards out of his hand, an angry look on her face.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"You are an absolutely pathetic excuse for a hero of justice!" she yelled angrily, startling Deputymon. "You think it's over just because you fought Starmon only one time! I've had my own share of fights, and I learned to never stop at one fight just because I lost! I learned to keep fighting and fighting for what's right until I win! That's what we're here to do! To fight the Digimon Emperor! And we may lose one fight now and then, but it's not enough to keep us down!"

"J-Jeri!" Rika gasped, surprised at Jeri's outburst. Ai, Mako, Kenta, Suzie, Lopmon and Betamon were surprised, Calumon wasn't all that surprised as Jeri often yelled like that at anybody that picked on her brother, and Elecmon watched with an interested look.

"N-now…see here, little lady…!" Deputymon stammered nervously, but Jeri cut him off again.

"See what? That you're a coward and a hypocrite?" Jeri asked fiercely. "Forget it, Deputymon! We're leaving, and we're taking care of Starmon and the Control Spire. Join us when you get a change of mind and attitude!" And with that, the brown-haired girl stormed out of the building, the rest of the Tamers following her. Deputymon stared at the door they just left from in wide-eyed disbelief before sighing and beginning to pick up his cards. A good game of Solitaire would calm himself…but he couldn't seem to get the girl's words out of her head…why?

* * *

"It's hot…" Yolei whined the minute the team touched down in Pyro Pit Prairie. What they saw was a barren, red land, populated with lava-filled chasms that would randomly spew out its contents in the air like a geyser. The Digidestined and the Tamers were sweating from the intense heat, while Guilmon, Kokuwamon, Monodramon and Veemon looked okay.

"Stop complaining Yolei, we're all hot," Davis said, looking around for a Control Spire. It didn't take long to find it. The black obelisk stood in the distance.

"There it is," Kokuwamon said, noting the Spire. "Let us proceed, my friends!"

"And let's be careful," said Ryo. "We don't want to get splashed with lava." Everybody nodded and stuck close together, keeping their eye out for lava explosions.

"Let's not forget the possibility of a trap…" added Takato.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"So, they've arrived," Ken said, looking down at Wormmon in the monitor room.

"Yes, they're in Pyro Pit Prairie," said the green caterpillar. "And it looks like they didn't come alone." The monitor screen lit up to reveal the five Digidestined and Ryo, as Ken expected. But what Ken didn't expect was to see two other boys with a Kokuwamon and a red Digimon he didn't recognize, one of the boys wearing goggles.

"What? Who are those two?"

"I don't know, but when I zoomed in…" Wormmon pressed a button on the terminal, and the image zoomed in on the two boys to reveal bizarre-looking Digivices in their hands, Digivices that Ken didn't know, but recognized…

"They're just like Ryo's," the emperor noted, a surprised look on his face before turning into a smirk. "So, Ryo brought some friends from the other dimension. I think they deserve something special. Agumon, to me!"

"You summoned me, my master?" Agumon asked, stepping forward and kneeling down.

"Yes, it's time for the experiment to begin. Wormmon, call in the Meramon. We'll give them a little bit of a challenge before we arrive."

"All right then," Wormmon said, pushing a button to call in the Digimon residing in the area.

* * *

"Ken, where are you?!" Davis called out as the group walked towards the Spire. "We don't want to fight! We want to talk with you! Please!"

"Davis, I don't think Ken is here," Cody said to the burgundy-haired boy. "He could be in some random area besides this one."

"Plus…I don't think talking will work anymore," Ryo said sadly, putting a hand on Davis's shoulder, making him stop. "We may have to fight him." Davis slumped down, wondering why Ryo would suggest something like that. Why would he fight Ken, someone who was his brainwashed best friend?

"Ryo…" Davis started before the pit near the Digidestined began bubbling and erupted, releasing six tall figures. Another pit erupted and released six more figures that landed in front of the team. The figures' bodies were entirely engulfed in flames, Dark Rings clamped around their necks.

"Meramon!" Kari and Takato both exclaimed, recognizing the Digimon.

"There must be a dozen of them at least!" gasped Yolei.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Then let's plow through them!" said Davis. "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!"

Once Veemon transformed, the Meramon began firing their Burning Fist attack, lobbing fireballs at Flamedramon. The dragon man Digimon dodged the attacks and lobbed his Flaming Fist, but the Meramon didn't seem affected at all; in fact, they grew bigger the minute the fireballs made contact with them.

"Gah!" Davis growled. "I forgot it doesn't work on them!"

"Yolei, I think it's our turn!" announced Hawkmon.

"I agree!" said Yolei. "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLAPPING LOVE, HALSEMON!"

Taking to the air, Halsemon spun around and released his Tempest Wing, the tornado enveloping the Meramon. However, the fiery Digimon welcomed the strong winds, as their bodies grew again from the flames being fanned around.

"Halsemon, stop!" Yolei called to her partner. "You're only making them stronger! Use one of your other attacks!"

"TK, Kari, it's our turn!" Cody said to the bearers of Hope and Light as Halsemon ceased his attack.

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LIGHT OF SMILES, NEFERTIMON!"

"ROCK CRACKING!" Digmon slammed his drills into the ground, creating a fissure that caused some of the Meramon to fall into the lava pits below. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon forced the remaining ones down into the pit with Star Shower and Beam of Isis.

"You did it!" Cody cheered for his partner and the other two Digimon.

"Okay, I don't mean to sound rude," Kazu said to the younger boy, "but you do realize the Meramon are fire-based Digimon, right?"

"And?" asked Digmon, not getting the point.

"You knocked them into a lava pit, where they can get stronger," Takato said, making Cody and the three Digimon realize their mistake. The lava pit erupted again and the Meramon leaped out, bigger than before.

"Oops…" Cody muttered sheepishly.

"Takato, I think it's my turn now!" Guilmon said, eyes shrinking into slits as he began growling. Takato nodded, knowing that when his partner was like this, it was time for a fight.

"Got it!" Pulling out his D-Arc, Takato grabbed the right card he was looking for, and swiped it through the D-Arc's slot.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GROWLMON!"

Releasing a massive roar that made the ground beneath him crack, Growlmon charged for the Meramon, ramming into one with his head. Two Meramon released their Burning Fist, but the attacks barely affected Growlmon, who turned his head and growled at the opposition before him.

"Growlmon, don't use Exhaust Flame!" called Takato. "Use Plasma Blade!"

"All right, Takato! PLASMA BLADE!" The blades on his arms glowing bright blue, Growlmon slashed forward at the two Meramon, breaking their Dark Rings and knocking them back down into the lava pit.

"Woah!" Flamedramon gasped, surprised as Growlmon picked up another Meramon by the head and threw him into his brainwashed comrades. "Growlmon looks so strong!"

"I don't think I've ever seen a Digimon like that before!" noted Nefertimon.

"Well…Guilmon is a, well…rare Digimon," Takato said nervously, not knowing how to tell the Digidestined that he created his own Digimon partner.

"Still, Growlmon's only one Digimon," Cody noted, watching the giant red dinosaur fight the remaining ten Meramon. "He needs help, but I don't think our Digimon's Armor levels will be able to do much!"

"So what can we do?" asked Yolei.

"Well, you could use physical attacks," said Kazu, "or, you could swap D-Terminals and Digimentals."

"Wait, swap D-Terminals and Digimentals?" Davis asked confused. "Kazu, what do you mean?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now!" said Takato. "Your Digimon partners can Digivolve with any Digimental, not just the ones you lifted!"

"Wait, we can do that?" asked a surprised Halsemon.

"You can," said Ryo. "Figure out who gets what D-Terminal. Kazu, let's back up Growlmon!"

"Got it!" said Kazu. "Kokuwamon, you ready?"

"As I shall ever be!" said the insect robot.

"Monodramon, you'll have to use water-based attacks for this one," Ryo noted to his partner.

"I hear you," the purple dragon cracked his knuckles and moved his neck around.

* * *

"Do you think Deputymon took Jeri's words to heart?" Kenta asked as they walked further into town. Calumon had heard piano music in the distance, and Rika suspected Starmon was playing the piano. Deciding to strike him first, the group of Tamers headed for the saloon where they heard the music.

"He better, or he'll deal with me next," said Rika, looking over to Jeri, whose face was set in a light glare. The red-haired girl was surprised when Jeri yelled at Deputymon, as she rarely saw that side from her friend, and it worried her a bit.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi 2)

"Hey…Jeri, are you all right?" Jeri breathed several times before answering.

"I'm fine Rika. I just didn't like hearing Deputymon saying he was giving up after one fight. I don't like giving up easily. I did it before when the D-Reaper caught me…"

"I see," Rika said, wrapping an arm around her friend with a soft smile. "To be honest, I know how you feel. It just seems cowardly."

"Both of you speak true," said Elecmon. "I have had some shortcomings in resisting the Emperor and finding my partner, but I refuse to give up until I have achieved both those goals!"

'This partner Elecmon speaks of…who is she?' thought Renamon, still as curious as ever as to wo the red mammal's mystery partner was.

"So this is a saloon," Suzie said once the group stopped in front of the building where the music was coming from. "I never thought I'd see one for real."

"Me neither," Kenta said with a smile. "I wonder if they have a spittoon."

"No spitting in front of the young ones," Rika reprimanded before walking into the saloon. Her eyes swept across the place until they settled on the piano nearby. Sitting in front of the piano and playing it was a Digimon with star-shaped armor, a dark ring wrapped around his top point.

"Hey! Sherriff Starmon!" Rika called out to the Digimon. The piano ceased playing, and the Digimon turned around to look at Rika with star-shaped armor.

"Well, well, looks like the Digidestined have moseyed on into Wild West Town," Starmon said in a Southern drawl like Deputymon's. "The Digimon Emperor was wondering if you would come. He told me that if you did, you would be executed immediately!"

"E…executed?" Mako asked, shivering slightly at Starmon's words.

"Yes," Starmon chuckled. "The Emperor has branded you Digidestined as criminals that need to be brought to justice!"

"Really? And what exactly is his justice?" asked Jeri.

"Hanging from the gallows," Starmon said with an evil chuckle. "Such is the justice for criminals to the Digital World. It's useless to resist me, so I suggest you surrender."

"We shall do no such thing!" Elecmon said, pulling out his sword. Starmon laughed again when he saw the red Digimon.

"And you've decided to come along as well, Elecmon! Good, good! The Digimon Emperor will be pleased when he hears of your demise!"

"Which shall never come!" Elecmon said with a growl. "Now we shall show you our justice!"

"And just so you know, we're Digimon Tamers!" Rika pulled out a card and her D-Arc. "We're nothing like the Digidestined! Renamon…walk all over him."

"My pleasure Rika," Renamon stepped forward as Rika swiped her card.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! VOLCANO ARMOR ACTIVATE!"

"What the?!" Starmon yelled in surprise as he saw a silver armor suit that reminded one of a football player's chest protector appear on Renamon's chest. With a loud yell, Renamon charged into Stramon, sending him flying out of the saloon with a crash.

"Holy…mackeral…" Starmon muttered, disoriented at the attack. Renamon leapt out and rammed Starmon again, sending hm flying off his feet again, but the Digimon managed to regain his footing and glared at Renamon.

"Not bad, furball, but let me show you a taste of my justice! METEOR SHOWER!" Starmon raised his arms in the air and summoned a mass of meteors that rained down on Renamon, creating an explosion of white light. When the light faded, Renamon was nowhere to be seen.

"Ha! One criminal down," Starmon said with a victorious laugh.

"Not so fast, Starmon!" said Suzie, a card and her D-Arc in hand. Kenta stood by her, mimicking the action. "You still have to deal with us!"

"And me, as well!" said Elecmon.

"DIGI-MODIFY! HIGH-SPEED PLUG IN B!"

"Here we go!" Betamon charged forward, the card Kenta just used providing him with an extra burst of speed as the green amphibian leapt up and rammed into Starmon, making him stagger back a step while Suzie used a card of her own.

"DIGI-MODIFY! STRENGTH PLUG-IN G!"

"BLAZING ICE!" The ice barbs, stronger than before, flew forward and hit Starmon's hands, freezing them solid in icebergs.

"Hey, what's this?!" yelled the star-shaped Digimon.

"I realized that you need your hands to perform your special attack," said Suzie, "so I had Lopmon freeze your hands solid."

"That means you'll be unable to perform your Meteor Shower," said Betamon, "which means I can do this! ELECTRIC SHOCK!"

"SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!"

Betamon and Elecmon's attacks flew forward and hit Starmon, the law enforcer yelling in pain from the electricity. Had his star armor not been made out of special metals, he would have been electrocuted to death. Once the attack ceased, Starmon breathed heavily before looking up at the three Digimon.

"I may not be able to use my Meteor Shower, but I do have other attacks! And trust me, you'll wish you hadn't turned my hands into ice cubes! STAR UPPER!" Charging forward, Starmon rammed his ice-covered fist into Elecmon's stomach, knocking the wind out of the red mammal Digimon. The star-shaped Digimon then spun around and punched Lopmon in the head. The brown rabbit let out a yell of pain and fell to the ground.

"Aw, man…" Suzie said, realizing her mistake as she watched Starmon kick Betamon away. "I didn't think the ice would make his punches stronger! Plus, I didn't know he had that attack!"

"The fox was the first," said Starmon. "Now the rest of you will face the Digimon Emperor's justice!"

"Here's a taste of my justice! JUSTICE BULLET!" A loud gunshot was heard, and Starmon looked up, yelling in surprise to see a giant bullet flying towards him. The bullet collided and Starmon was knocked off his feet again. Surprised at the attack, the Tamers turned to see Deputymon standing several feet away, his two revolvers in hand and his barrel chest smoking.

"Starmon, your days of dispensing 'justice' for the Digimon Emperor are going to end before they even begin!" the mutant Digimon said, keeping his guns aimed at his former law enforcement partner.

"Is that so?" Starmon asked, standing back up and glaring at Deputymon. "You're making a mistake fighting me again, you oversized pop gun! You remember the last time we fought, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," said Deputymon, his grip tightening on his guns. "But that was one fight…and I'll win the second round! JUSTICE BULLET!" Deputymon fired more bullets from his chest, but Starmon dodged the attacks before holding up his ice-encased fists. The bullets struck the ice and shattered them, giving Starmon complete control over his hands again.

"METEOR SHOWER!" Starmon's attack rained down on Deputymon and sent him flying off the ground, but the gun-shaped Digimon stood back up, glaring at Starmon.

"Hmm, I'm surprised," Starmon said with crossed arms. "The last time we fought, you ran off after I hit you with that attack once."

"I gave up too easily," Deputymon snorted. "I won't give up this time!"

"Wow!" Kenta said, impressed with Deputymon's attitude. "I think you really got through to him, Jeri!"

"You…you really think so?" Jeri asked, blushing slightly.

"Definitely," Rika said with a light smile.

"Well then, I'll just give you a second Meteor Shower!" Starmon raised his arms to perform his attack, but suddenly felt something hard hit him in the back. Stumbling forward, Starmon turned around to see who had attacked him, and gasped when he saw Renamon standing behind him.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"You?! I thought I wiped you out!"

"You only wiped out a clone," said Rika, who pulled out a card labeled 'Alias'. "We don't fall that easily, Starmon. Renamon, do it!"

"I'm on it, Rika!" Dashing forward, Renamon grabbed Starmon by the arms and spun him around, chucking him towards where she knew the Control Spire was.

"JUSTICE BULLET!" Deputymon aided the kitsune, firing his attack again and sending Starmon flying further back into the water tower. The tower broke and collapsed into wooden fragments upon colliding with Starmon, and the Control Spire was revealed in its black, intimidating glory.

"Now for something a little stronger than Meteor Shower," Rika smirked, pulling out a card and swiping it through her D-Arc.

"DIGI-MODIFY! SUPERSTARMON ACTIVATE!"

"Super…Starmon…?" Starmon asked in surprise, pulling himself out of the crater he made upon colliding with the Control Spire. Renamon leapt into the air and raised her arms in the air, and a number of meteors, bigger and more powerful than Starmon's Meteor Shower, rained down on the corrupted law enforcement officer and the Control Spire.

Starmon yelled as he was sent flying through the air and crashed to the ground, and the Control Spire was destroyed completely, leaving only a crater behind.

"You did it, Renamon!" Ai and Mako cheered as the yellow fox walked over to the other Digimon that fought Starmon. Deputymon helped Lopmon up to her feet while Elecmon checked up on Betamon.

"Thank you," Renamon said to the gun-shaped Digimon, "for making the right choice."

"Well, I guess the little lady was right when she said I should get off the chair once in a while," Deptuymon said, nodding to Jeri. The brown-haired girl smiled and nodded, glad to see Deputymon had decided to not give up so easily now.

* * *

Tai ran through the streets of Odaiba at breakneck speed, determined to get to his apartment as fast as he could. The moment Ryo told him about the possibility of Ken breaking into his home to kidnap Agumon, the brown-haired boy left school in a frenzy, pausing only when he reached a stop sign to make sure he didn't get run over.

'Please be safe, please be safe, Agumon!' Tai pleaded in his head, finally reaching his apartment. Throwing the door open, Tai ran into the hallway, not bothering to take off his shoes.

"AGUMON! AGUMON, ARE YOU HERE?!" he yelled out. The moment he stopped yelling, Tai heard loud thumping from his bedroom, as well as what sounded like muffled yells. Running into his bedroom, Tai stopped short when he saw his mother lying on the floor, white stuff wrapped around her arms, legs and mouth.

"Mom! What happened?!" Kneeling down, Tai reached out and took the white stuff off of Yuuko's mouth so she could talk. Feeling how sticky it was, Tai guess it was a type of webbing.

"Tai…Agumon…" Yuuko breathed, her face broken. "Some kid grabbed him and went into your computer. I tried to stop him…but a green caterpillar did this to me!"

"No…" Tai whispered, sitting down on the floor in dismay. He was too late…but perhaps if he made it to Izzy's apartment…

"Tai, where are you going?" Yuuko asked, seeing her son stand up and walk out of the room.

"To Izzy's apartment. I need to get to the Digital World to find Agumon!"

"Wait, what about me?!" Yuuko called out as she was still tied up. "Can you at least untie me?!"

"Oh…right!" Tai gasped, running over to the kitchen and grabbing a knife to cut his mother free before he headed to Izzy's apartment.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Sousa)

"DIGI-MODIFY! SHELLMON ACTIVATE!" Kazu swiped a card with Shellmon on it through his D-Arc, allowing Kokuwamon to release a burst of water that knocked several Meramon off their feet, but they stood back up, steam hissing off their bodies. Ryo followed this with a Frigimon card for his own partner.

"SUBZERO ICE PUNCH!" Monodramon charged forward and slammed his icy claws into a Meramon's Dark Ring, but the heat surrounding it evaporated the ice in an instant.

"Water and ice attacks are just as useless," Ryo noted. "There's too much heat in this area."

"PLASMA BLADE!" Growlmon slashed out again with his blades, but the Meramon dodged and released their Magma Bomb attack, which was a rain of flaming rocks.

"Move it!" Monodramon yelled. The Digidestined and the Tamers moved out of the way of the falling rocks, Growlmon knocking away any that came towards him.

"Have you guys figured out who gets what D-Terminal yet?" Takato asked Davis's team.

"Yeah, we did," said Davis. "I have TK's D-Terminal, and TK has mine. Kari has Cody's, Cody's has Yolei's, and Yolei has Kari's."

"Then what are you guys waiting for?!" asked Veemon. "Armor Digivolve us!"

"I wonder what I'll look like as a Digimon of Love!" said Armadillomon.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Here we go!" said TK. The five Digidestined raised their D-3s in the air and yelled out, "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" The D-3s glowed brightly as Veemon, Patamon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon and Gatomon felt the respective power of Hope, Courage, Light, Love and Knowledge flow through them.

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SAGITTARIMON!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BAROMON!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…HARPYMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…PTERAMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BUTTERFLYMON!"

Veemon transformed into a centaur with black and red armor on his body. His claws gauntlets resembled Flamedramon's, and he wore a black helmet with a golden horn. In his hands was a red bow and a quiver filled with arrows was strapped to his side.

Patamon stood before everybody as a human-shaped Digimon wearing a green cloak with a red cape and brown boots. His face had transformed into a mask resembling one of an Aztec warrior.

Hawkmon took flight again, but instead of Halsemon, he was now a tall Digimon with a human face, giant wings for arms, and bird legs, all covered in white feathers.

Like Hawkmon, Armadillomon took flight as well. He had transformed into a grey Pteranodon with dark blue armor, a number of missiles loaded up underneath his wings.

Gatomon landed in front of everybody as a yellow butterfly Digimon, the red stripes on her arms reminding one of her gloves, and her ears and wings were the same white-and-purple color as Gatomon's fur.

"No way…new Armor level Digimon!" Yolei gasped in surprise.

"Pteramon looks amazing!" said Cody.

"Woah, it's Baromon and Harpymon!" said Takato, recognizing two of the Armor Digimon before him. "Those two are tough customers!"

"Not bad," said Ryo with a nod. "Now things are looking even!"

"Let's show them our new powers, guys!" Sagittarimon said, getting nods from everybody.

"BURNING FIST!" The Meramon launched their fireballs again, but Sagittarimon expertly dodged the fireballs, being much more nimble with four legs, and drew three arrows out of his quiver, aiming them at the fireballs.

"JUDGMENT ARROW!" The arrows flew forward, going through the fireballs and striking three Meramon, breaking their Dark Rings off easily.

"SWEET PHEROMONE!" Flapping her wings, Butterflymon released a golden powder that floated over the seven remaining Meramon. The flame Digimon suddenly stopped short, and began looking around, with confused looks on their faces.

"What was that?" asked TK, noticing the Meramon wandering around aimlessly.

"Butterflymon's Sweet Pheromone is a powder that contains hallucinogens," said Ryo. "The Meramon have no idea what to do now."

"Now's our chance to finish them!" said Harpymon. "WIND SEEKER!" Swinging his arms forward, Harpymon released a blade of wind that struck the two Meramon closest to him, sending them into their own fellow Meramon.

"Now's the part where we make it rain!" said Pteramon. "MISSILE STORM!" Taking aim at the Meramon, the Pteranodon Digimon released his missiles from underneath his wings.

"METEOR DANCE!" Twirling around on his feet, Baromon opened up his cape, which began glowing dark. Leaping into the air, Baromon flapped his cape and released a number of meteors from the red fabric. The flaming rocks and streaking missiles collided with the remaining Meramon in a fiery explosion. When the smoke cleared, all of the Meramon's Dark Rings were shattered, and the flaming Digimon were unconscious.

"All right!" Yolei cheered. "Harpymon kicked butt out there! I wonder what Hawkmon would look like with the Digimental of Knowledge…"

"Let's take care of the Control Spire before anything else happens," Kari said, looking to the obelisk in the distance.

"Right!" The group made to move when a voice yelled out to them.

"RYO! DAVIS!" The two boys turned to see Tai running towards them, a panicked look on his face, and Henry and Izzy behind him. The moment Ryo saw Tai's face, he knew what was wrong.

"Tai! What's wrong?" Kari asked, seeing her brother's shaken look.

"Agumon…he…he…" Tai breathed hard, unable to talk from running so much.

"Ken got him," Henry said gravelly. "He kidnapped Agumon."

"No…!" Kari gasped in shock, Davis staring in disbelief.

"But…but how?" asked TK.

"He…Ken…got into my room through a Digital Gate and he grabbed Agumon," Tai said, a miserable expression on his face. "I tried to reach him in time, but…"

"Oh, Tai," Kari whispered, hugging her brother tightly for comfort.

"So…he actually got him," Ryo said with a grim expression.

"Did this happen in the TV show?" asked Cody.

"It did, but it was different," said Takato. "Agumon was in the Digital World when Ken kidnapped him."

"Ryo told me what was going to happen, but even then, I couldn't…" Tai whispered, his face broken.

"Tai, don't worry," said Takato. "We'll get Agumon back."

"But how?!" asked Yolei. "We don't know where Ken took him!"

"Um, guys…I don't think looking for Ken and Agumon is going to be a problem," said Kazu, his gaze diverted to the sky. The group looked up with Kazu and saw Stingmon descending from the sky. Ken sat on the green insect's shoulder, a smug smile on his face.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Well, well," the tyrant said as he looked down at the kids before him. "I see you've made some new friends Ryo…and I see you achieved new Armor levels."

"And you're as predictable as ever!" yelled Terriermon. "Using our friends against us? What kind of a lame-ass supervillain are you?!"

"Terriermon, I don't think now's a good time to insult him," Henry said with a frown, knowing where this was going.

"Where's Agumon, Ken?!" Tai snarled, his face contorted with rage. "What did you do with him?!" Ken smirked as Stingmon landed and he jumped off his partner's shoulder.

"I have him right here." Ken gestured to Stingmon, and something fell off his back with a thud. Seconds later, a familiar orange Digimon walked out from behind Stingmon and stood before the Digidestined.

"Agumon…" Tai whispered in shock when he saw the Dark Ring around his partner's neck.

"Damn it, Ken!" Davis cursed to his old friend. "This is taking it too far now! Let Agumon go!"

"Oh, I don't think so Davis," Ken remarked as he climbed on board Stingmon's shoulder again. "You see, I need Agumon for a little something I have planned."

"And what is this 'little something?'" TK asked. Ryo, Takato, Kazu and Henry knew what was coming, and they knew it wasn't going to be pretty.

"You see, I've come to the conclusion that the reason why my Dark Rings failed in controlling Andromon is because he was already at the Ultimate level when I captured him. But if I Digivolve an Ultimate level from a lower stage, I'll have total control over it!"

"What?!" Sagittarimon yelled in surprise. "That can't be possible!"

"Oh, it is," Ken pulled out his black D-3. "You see, my D-3 is linked to the Dark Rings. If I feed it enough power, then Agumon will Digivolve into MetalGreymon!"

"No! Ken, don't do this!" Davis pleaded to the former child of Kindness. "I don't want to fight you! Surely we can talk this out!"

"It's no use Davis," said Monodramon.

"He's not going to listen at this point," said Growlmon.

"Agumon!" Ken yelled, raising his D-3 in the sky. "Digivolve to Greymon with the power of my D-3!" The D-3's screen flashed brightly and Agumon was enveloped in a purple color. In a matter of moments, Agumon's shape changed and grew until Greymon stood before everybody.

"G…Greymon…" Tai whispered, a heartbroken look on his face.

"Excellent," Ken chuckled, pleased to see the first part of his plan was a success. "Now, Greymon! Absorb the power of darkness and dark Digivolve! Become MetalGreymon and destroy your partner and your friends!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"KEN, NO!" Takato yelled as Ken's D-3 screen and Greymon began glowing bright purple. Greymon roared in pain from the dark energy coursing through his body. The purple shape that was Greymon grew in size until it was fifty feet tall. The shadow looked to be MetalGreymon, but the form suddenly twisted and warped, becoming a different shape.

"GREYMON…DIGIVOLVE TOOO…!"

"No…it can't be…" Tai whispered, trembling at the sight of the familiar figure from his nightmares.

"Is that…MetalGreymon?" Yolei asked in a small tone.

"No…it's worse," Izzy said gravelly. The purple aura faded, and everybody, including Ken and Stingmon, gasped in shock at what they saw. What stood before them wasn't a cyborg dinosaur, but a giant skeletal dinosaur with an orange missile attached to his back. An orange mass rested in his ribcage, and it could only be his insides. The skeleton opened his blood-red eyes and yelled his name in a jagged tone.

" **SKULLGREYMON!** "

"Oh, no…" TK whispered, remembering the horrific Digimon from so long ago. Yolei and Cody both stared wide-eyed at the monstrosity in front of them, and Kari could only stare in disbelief.

"Ken, what have you done…" Davis whispered, seeing what became of his mentor's partner Digimon, courtesy of his old friend. Henry and Ryo stared up at the Digimon with grim expressions, while Kazu looked between scared and fascinated of seeing a real SkullGreymon, and Takato was having flashbacks to a certain day in his life.

"What happened to Greymon?!" Yolei screamed, finally finding her voice.

"It's a Dark Digivolution," said Izzy, his face grim. "Ken tried to force Greymon to Digivolve to MetalGreymon, but he became SkullGreymon, an unstoppable monster whose only impulse is to destroy and fight everything around him!"

"Agu…mon…" Tai said, his voice barely above a whisper. The bushy-haired boy could only stay rooted to the spot as he watched the skeletal monster throw his head back in a roar. He remembered the day he made Greymon become the hideous beast before him, and it was definitely not one of his prouder moments.

"Skull…Greymon?!" Ken yelled, his eyes filled with terror as well; something had gone horribly wrong with his plan.

"I don't understand…what happened?!"

"I guess the Dark Rings can't control Ultimate levels at all…" Stingmon noted, looking at the monstrosity below in fear as well.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"We have to fight!" said Sagittarimon, drawing out an arrow. "We can't let our friend be turned into a monster! JUDGMENT ARROW!" The arrow soared through the sky, but SkullGreymon swatted the metal projectile away and swatted Sagittarimon with a strong arm. The horse man yelled as he was sent flying through the air and crashed into the ground, reverting to Veemon.

"Forget fighting, we have to run!" yelled Tentomon. "We can't fight a SkullGreymon! He's far too powerful for us!"

"Maybe for you!" said Monodramon. "Terriermon, give me a lift!"

"All right!" The long-eared dog leapt off Henry's shoulders and grabbed Monodramon's hands, taking flight with his ears spread like wings.

"Terriermon, get back here!" yelled Henry. "We don't know how to fight a Digimon like that!"

"EXHAUST FLAME!" Growlmon's fire flew up and hit SkullGreymon's face, but the skeletal Digimon barely felt the attack and looked down at the Digimon foolish to attack him.

Roaring loudly, Growlmon charged forward, only to be grabbed by SkullGreymon's massive hand. The Ultimate level Digimon shook Growlmon by the head before throwing him into Baromon and Kokuwamon. All three Digimon slid across the ground, moaning in pain from the impact. Baromon glowed brightly and reverted to Patamon, but Growlmon remained in his Champion level, standing back up and snarling at the skeletal Digimon.

"BEAK PIERCE!" Soaring up in the sky, Pteramon aimed his sights on the Dark Ring around SkullGreymon's neck before diving down, his sharp beak aimed for the Dark Ring. Before he could hit the Ring though, SkullGreymon turned around and opened his mouth.

"CURSED BREATH!" A purple and green smoke flew out of his mouth and enveloped Pteramon, who coughed and gagged from the gas before falling out of the sky. SkullGreymon then lifted his foot and kicked Pteramon back, changing him back into Armadillomon.

"SILENT SYMPHONY!" Harpymon released a wave of sonic rings from his mouth, but they barely fazed SkullGreymon as he knocked Harpymon out of the sky. The bird man crashed hard into the ground, turning back into Hawkmon.

"Now, Terriermon!" said Monodramon, letting go of the green Digimon's hands. "BEAT KNUCKLE!"

"BUNNY BLAST!"

The green fireballs peppered SkullGreymon's head as Monodramon's fist connected with his jaw, but the skeletal Digimon didn't even flinch as he swatted both Digimon down to the ground.

"We have to run now!" said Cody. "He just took out all of our Digimon!"

"But we can't leave!" said Davis. "That's Tai's partner, our friend! We can't leave him like that!"

"Uh, guys?" Kazu asked nervously. "I think it may be too late to run!" The rest of the group looked up to see the missile on SkullGreymon's back beginning to spew black smoke.

"Oh no, everybody get down!" yelled Takato. "That's his strongest attack!"

"GROUND ZERO!" The missile took off, but instead of soaring towards the Digidestined, the missile looped and spun around in the sky before it hit the Control Spire. The whole world went white as an explosion sounded, and an atomic wind swept across the area, knocking the children off their feet. Growlmon stood his ground though, planting his feet firmly into the rocks. The Control Spire didn't just break in the explosion; it disintegrated into nothingness.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

"This was a failure…" Ken snarled before whistling loudly.

The ground shook and the Digidestined and Tamers turned to see ten black dinosaurs with green spikes on their backs, brown bands on their arms, and Dark Rings around their necks storm towards SkullGreymon, who roared at the new challengers.

"Are those Tyrannomon?" asked Yolei, recognizing the dinosaurs from somewhere.

"Not Tyrannomon, _Dark_ Tyrannomon," corrected Kazu. "It looks like Ken's having them fight SkullGreymon!"

"Good luck with that," TK muttered.

"We need to get to safety!" said Takato, seeing a big enough rock nearby. "Everybody, get to that rock! Growlmon, give us cover!"

"I'm on it, Takato!" Growlmon breathed more fire to the ground, providing the group time to get to the rock. Davis turned back and saw Tai still standing in place, shock and disbelief still etched on his face. Davis couldn't exactly blame Tai for the way he was. If it was Veemon who Ken forced to Digivolve, he would be stunned as well. But he also knew when to run.

"Tai, come on! We need to get out of here!" Davis grabbed Tai's arm and pulled, but the older boy refused to budge.

"Come on, Tai! Snap out of it!" Takato yelled, running over to the bearer of Courage.

"Get ahold of yourself, big brother!" pleaded Kari.

"We'll have to drag him," said Ryo. "Pull!" Ryo and Davis both pulled Tai to the rock where everybody else was, and they watched as the DarkTyrannomon all surrounded SkullGreymon.

"FIRE BLAST!" The DarkTyrannomon released streams of flame from their mouth, and the flames danced around SkullGreymon. The skeletal Digimon didn't seem to care, however; he raised his arm and slapped them all away. One DarkTyrannomon charged forward, but SkullGreymon reached down and wrapped his bony fingers around the dinosaur's waist and lifted him into the air. The black dinosaur breathed more fire, but SkullGreymon wasn't bothered by the attack at all as he opened his mouth, inserted the DarkTyrannomon's head into it, and bit down with a loud crunch.

"Oh, my God…" Kari gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth in horror.

"He…he's eating him!" TK gasped. Yolei whirled around and puked at the sight while Ryo and Cody watched with rigid eyes.

"I knew SkullGreymon was dark, but I didn't think he'd be this dark!" Kazu muttered in fear as SkullGreymon chomped down on the rest of the DarkTyrannomon. Davis, Henry and Izzy were horrified and Takato felt sick to his stomach. Tai sank to his knees and dropped his head down, unable to watch what his partner was doing.

* * *

"Four aces!" Jeri said with a laugh, placing her cards on the table for everybody to see.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Juri no Theme)

"Aw, dag-nabbit!" Deputymon yelled, throwing his cards on the table. "That's the third straight game in a row! What's your secret, little miss Katou?"

"My family owns a restaurant," said Jeri, "and I help there often, so I pick up a few things on Poker when some friends of my father play there!"

"Well, you certainly picked up the right ways to win," Starmon said with a chuckle as Rika placed her cards on the table as well. After Starmon had regained consciousness, Deputymon had asked if they could play a celebratory game of Poker before they left, and Jeri and Rika agreed to humor them while Kenta decided to play outside with Suzie, Betamon, the twins and Calumon. Renamon and Lopmon were inside the saloon, watching the poker game with Elecmon.

"So let me get this straight," said Starmon. "You use cards with Digimon on them to help your partners fight in battle?"

"Yes, that's right," Jeri said, pulling out some cards and offering them to Deputymon, who took the cards and flipped through them with interest. "There's also options for strength and speed, as well as weapons."

"Ooh, hello handsome!" Deputymon said, noticing a card with him on it. "I take a mean picture!"

"Well, I must say, the Digimon Emperor's rule will definitely be brought to true justice now," said Starmon, "with people like you helping."

"That is true," Deputymon placed the Digimon cards on the table before looking up at Jeri.

"Listen, Jeri…I want to thank you for…that talk," said the talking gun. "It definitely inspired me to keep on fighting no matter what, and no matter how many times you lose. Had you told me that before, I would have put away a lot more criminals without letting them go after fighting them the first time."

"Think nothing of it," Jeri said with a light smile and a blush. "I don't think it should be a one-and-done when fighting. I learned that the hard way."

"Well, you definitely seem like quite the fighter," said Starmon, looking over to the brown-haired girl.

"Indeed," Elecmon muttered, eyeing the former Tamer. "She has the heart of a true warrior inside her." Renamon heard Elecmon and her eyes narrowed. The way Elecmon was acting, as well as what he just said about Jeri, definitely remined her of someone she knew…but it couldn't be…

"Anyway, we were wondering if you guys have ever seen an Impmon around this part of the Digital World," Jeri said to the two western Digimon. "He's the Digimon partner to Ai and Mako, the two young kids outside."

"An Impmon, eh?" Starmon asked, propping his feet on the table. "Hmm…I don't think I've ever seen an Impmon before. I know what they're said to look like, though. Purple devil Digimon with a smiley face on his chest?"

"Yes," Renamon said with a nod. "So you haven't seen an Impmon ever?"

"No," said Deputymon, "but…we did meet a Digimon that said he Digivolved from an Impmon."

"What?" Jeri and Rika asked in surprise.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"Oh, now I remember!" Starmon said with a snap of his fingers. "It was long ago, a few years before the Dark Masters attacked the Digital World and created Spiral Mountain. A Digimon came here in the middle of a stormy night, looking for shelter. We offered it to him, and when we asked what he was doing all the way out here, he said he was searching for something important to him."

"He said he couldn't remember what it was though, since he was suffering from amnesia," continued Deputymon. "He stayed the night and the next morning once the storm passed, he left and that was really the last we saw of him."

'Amnesia…?' Jeri thought in shock. Impmon had amnesia and didn't remember Ai and Mako? Although, Starmon and Deputymon said he was searching for something important, and she knew it had to have been Ai and Mako. This made her all the more determined to find Impmon and reunite him with the twins. If she did, then Impmon would possibly remember the twins.

"Who was this Digimon anyway?" asked Rika. "Was he really tall, with a black leather jacket and two guns bigger than Deputymon's?"

"Hmm…I don't think so," Deputymon said, looking down at the Digimon cards. "I'm not sure what he…wait…" the gun-shaped Digimon's eyes widened when he saw a card in the pile and he pulled it out.

"Well, here he is right here!" Deputymon threw the card into the middle of the table, and Jeri, Rika, Lopmon and Renamon leaned forward to see the Digimon on the card. What they saw made both Jeri and Rika gasp in surprise.

"Oh, my…" Renamon gasped, also surprised.

* * *

Pyro Pit Prairie was becoming even more of a wasteland than it was before. SkullGreymon tore through the other DarkTyrannomon in his path, crushing them underneath his feet, throwing them into lava pits, squeezing their heads until they burst into data. The land underneath the skeletal Digimon was torn up as he continued on his rampage.

From the sky above, Ken and Stingmon kept their distance as Ken was waiting for SkullGreymon to cease his rampage. He knew it was only a matter of time before he ran out of energy and reverted to Agumon…but would he revert?

From their hiding spot, the Digidestined and the Tamers could only watch in horror as SkullGreymon crushed the DarkTyrannomon before him.

"I can't believe it…" Kari whispered with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe Agumon would do something like this!"

"That's not Agumon doing it," Ryo said with narrowed eyes. "It's that Dark Ring that's making him do this."

"I can't believe Ken would do something like this," Davis said in despair before turning to Ryo. "He's really gone past talking, hasn't he?"

"Yes…he has," Ryo said with a nod, causing Davis's expression to become more miserable.

"What do we do now?" Yolei asked, not wanting to see anymore of SkullGreymon.

"We have to leave," said Cody. "Our Digimon were no match for SkullGreymon, and if we stay any longer, he could come after us!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

"No! We can't leave!" cried Takato. "That's Tai's partner out there! If SkullGreymon reverts to Agumon, then Ken will be able to spirit away with him again! We have to save Agumon!"

"But how?" asked TK. "All of our Digimon are hurt!"

"Not all of us," Growlmon said, his eyes narrowed and his fangs bared as he looked over to SkullGreymon.

"Takato, are you crazy?!" yelled Tentomon, realizing what the goggled boy was planning.

"Maybe I am," said Takato, a card in one hand and his D-Arc in the other. "But a Tamer never gives up until the end. We can't afford to lose this battle or Agumon! We're still standing, so that means the fight isn't over yet!"

"That's right, Takato!" Growlmon yelled, charging for SkullGreymon and firing his Exhaust Flame. The attack hit SkullGreymon's arm, and the monstrosity turned his attention to the red dinosaur. Roaring loudly, SkullGreymon brought his arm down, but Growlmon raised both his arms and blocked the hand, keeping it at bay with all his strength. As Growlmon fought, the card in Takato's hands turned blue and began glowing brightly.

"What…what just happened?!" Izzy asked when he saw the blue card in Takato's hand.

"That's a Blue Card!" said Henry. "It's what allows Ultimate Digivolution!"

"We better get back, then!" said Terriermon. "This is going to be ugly!"

" **DIGI-MODIFY!** " Takato slashed the card through his D-Arc with one swift motion. " **MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION…ACTIVATE!** "

Growlmon roared as he heard Takato say the words, and he began glowing bright red, much to the shock of SkullGreymon.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"GROWLMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WARGROWLMON!" SkullGreymon was thrown back by the glowing red figure, which was now fifty feet tall. When the light faded, Growlmon's new form as revealed. Besides growing much taller, Growlmon's arms were coated in a silver metal with sharp blades on the sides. His upper body was covered in armor with two cannons on his chest. Two long, rectangular jet thrusters jutted from his back, along with a long cable between the thrusters, and his lower face was covered in a silver and red mask with wings like Guilmon's ears.

"He Digivolved…" Izzy said, looking at WarGrowlmon in awe.

"Get him, WarGrowlmon!" called Takato. "Save our friend!"

"I'll save him, Takato!" WarGrowlmon said, his blades glowing bright blue. "RADIATION BLADE!" The cyborg dragon swung his blades at SkullGreymon, forcing the monstrous skeleton to step back. SkullGreymon roared at the challenger, delighted to finally find a worthy opponent. SkullGreymon and WarGrowlmon charged for each other and met in a battle of strength, pushing each other back as the ground beneath them began cracking and shaking.

"Holy cow!" Armadillomon gasped, feeling the vibrations. "Is it those two causing this earthquake?"

"It is them," said Henry. "WarGrowlmon is one of the most powerful Ultimate level Digimon, and his power is not to be used foolishly, or underestimated."

"Push him back, WarGrowlmon! You've got this!" WarGrowlmon grunted in reply to Takato's yells, and ignited his jet thrusters, taking flight and throwing SkullGreymon to the ground. The red and silver cyborg dropped down and attacked with his Radiation Blade again, but SkullGreymon dodged and grabbed the cable on his back, pulling it and sending WarGrowlmon flying into a boulder.

Roaring loudly, SkullGreymon began swinging his massive, bony fists at WarGrowlmon, the punches connecting with his head and chest. WarGrowlmon grunted from the punches, and when TK looked over to Takato, he was surprised to see the boy's head and body moving from side to side with swift movements.

"Takato, are you okay?" he asked with a concerned look. His answer was several grunts from Takato.

"He can feel every hit," said Henry, recognizing the movements. "Every time WarGrowlmon gets hit, Takato feels the pain as well. Our bonds with our Digimon is higher than yours are, especially at the Ultimate level."

"Is he all right?" Yolei asked in concern.

"I've…been through worse…than this!" Takato yelled, standing at full height and raising his arms. WarGrowlmon mimicked his Tamer's movements and raised his arms, catching SkullGreymon's next punch. Roaring at the skeletal monster, he swung around and sent SkullGreymon flying back several feet. SkullGreymon stood back up on his feet before dropping down on his hands, the missile on his back sputtering smoke.

"He's going to fire his Ground Zero again!" yelled Tentomon.

"Meet it head on, WarGrowlmon!" yelled Takato. "ATOMIC BLASTER!"

"As you wish, Tamer!" WarGrowlmon growled, the cannons on his chest glowing bright red. "ATOMIC BLASTER!" The red energy beams flew from WarGrowlmon's cannons and collided with SkullGreymon's incoming missile, both attacks meeting in a colossal explosion that shook the Earth and created a strong gust of wind that knocked the Digidestined and Tamers off their feet, and nearly caused Ken to fall off of Stingmon.

WarGrowlmon and SkullGreymon were both thrown off their feet and flew through the air from the force of the explosion. SkullGreymon crashed into the ground while WarGrowlmon fell into a nearby lava pit.

"WarGrowlmon!" Takato yelled for his Digimon, running for the lava pit with Henry and Izzy.

"What about SkullGreymon?" Cody asked, looking to where SkullGreymon fell. The skeletal Digimon lay there for a moment before glowing bright yellow and shrinking back to Agumon, who was unconscious.

"Agumon!" Tai yelled, finally able to move once SkullGreymon vanished. "Hang on buddy, I'm coming!" The brown-haired boy sprinted towards his partner with Kari, Davis and Ryo right behind him.

"I don't think so!" said Ken, looking down at the scene before him. "Stingmon, get him!" Nodding, Stingmon swooped down and grabbed Agumon before flying back up.

"NO!" Tai yelled, his eyes beginning to water slightly.

"AGUMON!" screamed Kari.

"Dammit, Ken!" yelled Ryo. "Let him go!"

"I think not," said Ken. "I'm not finished with him yet. With Agumon, I shall be one step closer to achieving my ultimate destiny!"

"Ken, don't do this!" begged Davis. "Stop this before it gets out of control! Please…come back to us." The burgundy-haired boy's voice cracked at the last few words. Ken stared down at Davis with an emotionless expression before scoffing.

"It's too late for that now, Davis," he said coldly. "Nothing shall prevent me from bringing order back to the Digital World! Stingmon, take us back to base!"

"Yes," Stingmon muttered and nodded before flying off.

"NO!" screamed Tai. "AGUMON!" The bushy-haired boy dropped to his knees and punched the ground with his fists, ignoring the cuts and bruises that formed on his hands.

"Agumon…" Tai whispered, breaking down completely.

"Tai…" Kari whispered, bending down and wrapping her arms around Tai in a warm embrace of comfort.

"We'll get him back Tai," Ryo assured his friend.

"Y…yeah, we will," Davis said, though he was still conflicted. Could he truly bring himself to fight Tai's partner if they had to fight him again? And could he truly bring himself to fight Ken? Davis always believed friends should never fight each other…but now he didn't know what to think.

* * *

"WARGROWLMON!" Takato called down into the lava pit. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Are you sure WarGrowlmon is all right?" asked Tentomon, looking down in the pit. "That lava looks too hot for anyone to swim in!"

"Oh, please!" said Terriermon. "Guilmon once swam in a vat of hot grease without getting a burn! This lava is probably like a summer swim in a river!"

"Is that true?" Izzy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Surprisingly, yes," Henry said with a nod. Seconds later, the lava bubbled and broke, revealing Guilmon's small head.

"Guilmon!" Takato cried happily as his partner swam out of the lava and climbed out of the pit, his body showing no sign of burns.

"Takato, what happened?" asked Guilmon. "I remember blasting SkullGreymon's missile and then I flew. Did I win?"

"Yeah…you won, buddy…" Takato stroked Guilmon's head and looked over to see Kari and Ryo comforting Tai, "…but we also lost."

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Namida no Yukue)

After the poker game had ended, the Tamers headed back for the television set they went through. Elecmon bade them farewell and left Wild West Town for wherever he could help out against the Digimon Emperor. Jeri and Rika stayed back from the other Tamers so they could talk in private.

"Rika, the Digimon they showed us…you don't think it was…our Impmon, right?"

"I don't know," Rika answered Jeri truthfully. "We do know Impmon can Digivolve into that Digimon in some of the new video games…but is it possibly him?"

"Well…Starmon and Deputymon did say he was looking for something important to him, but he couldn't remember it clearly," Jeri said with a sad expression. "I can't begin to imagine how Ai and Mako will react when they find out Impmon has amnesia and doesn't remember them."

"I don't know Jeri," Rika frowned sadly. "If the Digimon they showed us was Impmon…well…you know what happened to him in the show…"

"But it couldn't have been him!" insisted Jeri. "I know the TV show is an alternate universe, but…"

"We may have to consider that possibility." It hurt Rika to say it, but if the Digimon they saw on the card was their Impmon, then a reunion between Impmon and the twins could not happen.

Days -Aijou to Nichijou- TV Size

(The ending begins with a Real World Sphere appearing on the screen before pulling back. Lyrics begin)

Aozameta sora nijinda hi no hikari dokomademo tsuzuku/The light that spreads across the pale sky is continuous

(The camera shows a part of Odaiba with Agumon alone on the street, Tai's silhouette standing nearby. Tai comes in focus, leaning back with his arms behind his head. Tai looks at Agumon with a smile)

Kurikaeshi hibi iiwake to kyogen to wakaranakute/The repeating days, excuses and lies don't know

(Veemon is shown on a soccer field, Davis's silhouette nearby. Davis comes into focus, one hand on his hip as he turns to Veemon with a smile and a wink)

Watashi wa tada koko ni ikiru sonzai imi o tou/I just wonder why I exist here

(The camera changes to a sidewalk in Shinjuku with Guilmon, Takato's silhouette next to Guilmon. Takato comes in focus, sitting on the ground while looking at Guilmon with a soft smile)

Kimi wa nanimo iwazu soba ni ite hohoemi o kureta/You stayed nearby without saying anything and gave me happiness

(Monodramon is on a bridge in Shinjuku, looking out as Ryo's silhouette behind him. Ryo comes in focus with his hands in his pockets. He turns back with a small grin to Monodramon. The camera then pans to Shinjuku, with the Real World Sphere above it)

Aijou to nichijou ni karamu kokoro kisu de umete yo/Bury the heart that is entangled with love and every day with kisses

(The Real World Sphere moves forward and Shinjuku dissolves to reveal the Tamers' Digital World, a barren desert wasteland. Tai, Davis, Takato and Ryo are standing on top of a canyon, taking in the view before turning to the camera one by one, all with smiles on their faces)

Ima ijou kore ijou tsyuoku kowareru kurai dakishimete/More than now, more than this, hold me tight so that I may break

(The Real World Sphere pulls back again before moving forward, the desert dissolving to reveal File Island in the Digidestineds' Digital World. Agumon, Veemon, Guilmon and Monodramon stand on Infinity Mountain, looking down at the island before turning to the camera one by one, all with smiles on their faces)

Motto kitsuku motto motto.../More tighter, more, more...

(The camera pulls back to show Tai, Davis, Takato and Ryo on Infinity Mountain with their partners. The ending closes like that)

END CHAPTER 13

 **So a lot happens in this chapter. Ken is now living in the Digital World and has Agumon as his slave. And from what happened with SkullGreymon, Ken realizes he may need something else to control Ultimate level Digimon. The 02 gang now have an ace up their sleeves by swapping Digimentals in battle if it's necessary. It seems like Rika and Jeri have a lead on Impmon, and they don't like it. And to top it off, the Dark Ocean drama has begun for Kari.**

 **As you may know, Veemon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Patamon and Gatomon can Armor Digivolve using any Digimental, not just the Digimental that their partners picked up. And Wormmon can Armor Digivolve as well. You have six Digimon and ten Digimentals (Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, Hope, Light, Kindness and Miracles). Add them all up, and you have...sixty Armor level Digimon! This concept was used in a CD Drama, and some of said Armor Digimon were seen in the later seasons after Adventure 02. I figured I could add that little fun concept in the story as well. Now, I'm not going to go through all said Armor Digivolutions for the Digimon, but they will be seen in the story as either the Digivolved forms of the partner Digimon, or as enemies and allies.**

 **And what about SkullGreymon, huh? This is what we should have seen SkullGreymon be like in the show, a rampaging monster that crushes his enemies in violent ways. Since we have the Tamers involved, and given how brutal the fight scenes were in Tamers, some of the fights in the future are going to be no holds barred. The Tamers' partners may be immune to the Control Spires, and the Digidestined will be able to bypass the Control Spires soon, but don't think everything will be a walk in the park for them. Things are going to be hard for the combined team in the future.**

 **So, what do you think of this chapter? What did you think of the Digimentals being swapped? What is it about Elecmon that has Renamon looking at him funny? Who is the Digimon that Starmon and Deputymon showed that has Jeri and Rika worried about finding Impmon? What did you think of the hardcore battle between WarGrowlmon and SkullGreymon? Tell me in your reviews. Here's hoping we get up to 100 reviews once Chapter 16 is posted.**

 **Also, I don't have any plans for the story regarding this question, but what Crests do you think would go well with the Tamers? It's something that I'm curious about, and I'd like to see your opinions on it.**

 **In the next chapter, Jeri, Rika and Sora brave a daring mission to rescue Agumon. Elecmon returns to aid them, and will more be revealed about him? And get ready for the showdown of the century:**

 **The Digimon Queen Rika Nonaka vs The Digimon Emperor Ken Ichijouji! Who will win?**


	14. Chapter 14: Rescue Agumon!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Don't forget to review and follow this story! Now on to the next chapter!**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Leaving the Human World for the Digital World, Ken Ichijouji, the Digimon Emperor, kidnapped Tai's Digimon partner Agumon and attempted to Digivolve him to MetalGreymon, but received SkullGreymon, who rebelled against Ken's control. WarGrowlmon defeated SkullGreymon, but Ken escaped with Agumon. Jeri and Rika went to Wild West Town, where they may have a lead on Impmon's whereabouts.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Rescue Agumon! The Lion Roars Again

It was quiet in the Kamiya apartment. The mood had been a miserable one ever since Tai, Kari and Takato returned from the Digital World with only Gatomon and Guilmon. Both of Tai's parents were saddened to hear that Agumon was still a prisoner of the Digimon Emperor, as they had come to accept the orange reptile into their family, along with Gatomon.

Tai was the most saddened, and understandably so, as Agumon was not only his partner Digimon, but also his best friend. The bushy-haired boy hadn't said much since returning home, nor did he eat much.

"Tai, do you want some meatloaf?" Yuuko offered her son, trying to lighten the mood. Tai simply shook his head and muttered, "I'm not hungry…" The brown-haired woman sighed sadly, realizing that if Tai was turning down even her cooking, things were very much serious.

"I know it's bad Tai…" Susumu said, placing a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "But you'll get Agumon back, I know it!"

"Yeah…I know I can…" Tai said dejectedly. "But…that's not it…I saw…him again…"

"Him who?" Yuuko asked in confusion.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"SkullGreymon," Takato said, making everybody look at him. "When Ken kidnapped Agumon, he made him attack us and he tried to Digivolve him to MetalGreymon, but he became SkullGreymon, a walking dinosaur skeleton."

"A dinosaur fossil?" Susumu asked with a chuckle.

"It sounds funny at first, but not so funny when you see what he can do," Gatomon said gravelly. Kari shuddered in agreement as she could still hear the cries of pain from the DarkTyrannomon the viral Digimon had killed. Then the brown haired girl paused when she heard Tai said that he saw him again, and this confused her. Did this happen before? She was never told of this.

"Tai…when you said you never thought you'd see SkullGreymon again…did this happen before to you and Agumon?" Tai looked down at the floor. He hated having this conversation, he never thought he would be telling Kari about this, but he knew she had a right to know.

"Yes…it did…" Takato answered for Tai, making the older boy look at him with a wary look.

"It was on the show, wasn't it?" Tai asked sadly, and Takato nodded before explaining everything.

"Tai had just gotten his Crest of Courage, and he wanted Agumon to Digivolve to the Ultimate level right away. He did everything he could to make it happen, from feeding Agumon too much food to putting himself in danger. But it went wrong, and it was the first time Greymon ever became SkullGreymon."

"It was something I regretted deeply," Tai muttered sadly. "I became something I never wanted to be…I wish I could just forget it…but after what happened today…I don't think I can forget it."

(Play Digimon: Across the Tears)

"You can never forget it," said Takato. "Yes, SkullGreymon is a bad memory, but it's also a good memory in a way. You realized your mistakes and you matured and became a better person for it. You proved yourself worthy of the Crest of Courage." Tai sat in stunned silence at Takato's words and the expression on his face. From the way Takato looked and spoke…

"Did…did the same thing happen to you and Guilmon?" Takato's face turned into a frown like Tai's as he remembered that day. Beelzemon's claws tearing through Leomon's chest…Jeri's devasted expression…Takato's anger being unleashed…the world around them breaking apart…

"Yes…and it was far worse than SkullGreymon," said the brown-haired boy. "Jeri's partner Leomon had been killed right in front of her back when Ai and Mako's partner Beelzemon was still evil, and she was absolutely devastated…and I was absolutely livid at what Beelzemon did. In my anger, I ordered Guilmon to Digivolve to the Mega level." Takato paused as the giant, monstrous dragon flashed in his mind; the long sharp tail, the tattered red wings, and the drooling maw still haunted Takato to this day.

"He became Megidramon…a Digimon whose mere existence alone threatened the Digital World itself," he continued. "The Digivolution caused my old D-Arc to be destroyed. I regretted what I did that day, because it was one of the worst things to happen to me…but on that same day, it allowed Guilmon to Digivolve to his true Mega level, Gallantmon." Takato smiled as he thought about that day when he biomerged with his partner for the first time ever and received his new D-Arc, the one in his hands.

"I…I didn't know…" Tai whispered in surprise.

"You wouldn't have," Takato said with a dry chuckle. "I try to forget Megidramon as well…"

"But why would you forget that day, Takato?" Guilmon asked innocently. "That was the day I became Gallantmon!"

"I'm not done yet, Guilmon!" Takato said with a laugh before continuing. "But I also have to remember it as the events that happened that day made me who I was. Never forget who you were before SkullGreymon, Tai…and never forget who you became after that day."

Tai stayed quiet, and he began feeling much better after listening to Takato's story and advice. The younger boy was right…SkullGreymon helped make him who he was today, and nothing could change that.

"Thanks Takato…I guess I needed to hear something like that."

"No problem," Takato said, patting Tai on the back. "Don't worry. The first thing tomorrow after school, we're going to the Digital World and we'll get Agumon back!"

"Yeah…" Tai said, though half-heartedly. Getting sleep tonight would be hell for the brown-haired boy.

* * *

Davis lay in bed, wearing his yellow pajamas. When he returned home from the Digital World, he said little to nothing to anyone, and he ate a little food before going to bed. The events of today were fresh in his mind. He still couldn't believe Ken would be corrupted so far that he would kidnap Tai's partner and force him to Digivolve, turning him into a monster that killed anyone in his path. He could still hear the pained roars from the DarkTyrannomon that SkullGreymon straight up ate, and he could still see the skeletal monstrosity in his mind.

But what he couldn't believe even more than that was Ryo and the other Digidestined and Tamers saying that the only way to stop Ken from taking over the Digital World was to keep on fighting him…and that fighting Agumon would be the only option if Ken managed to successfully control Agumon and Digivolve him to the Ultimate level.

'I don't understand why everybody, including Ryo, is okay with fighting Ken and Agumon! Agumon is Tai's partner…and Ken's supposed to be our friend! Why? Friends shouldn't fight at all!'

"Davis?" The burgundy-haired boy turned on his side to see Jun standing above him.

"Oh…it's you, sis," he muttered. "Where's Ryo?"

"On the roof with Monodramon and DemiVeemon," said Jun. "The little buggers are still brimming with energy, and they're running it off."

"Ok…" Davis said, turning away from Jun, who sighed.

"Davis…Ryo told me what happened today. You haven't said much since you got home…" the spiky-haired girl bit her lip and looked at Davis with a frown. "Are you going to be okay?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida ni Yukue)

"You tell me!" Davis snapped, sitting up with a glare. "My best friend is being brainwashed into becoming a dictator, he kidnapped my mentor's partner Digimon, turned him into a monster, and everybody's talking about how fighting him is our only option! They're talking about fighting friends, Jun!" Jun looked at Davis sadly. This was obviously hurting Davis a lot more than she thought…and it hurt her that she couldn't do much to help her brother.

"Davis…I think I get it," she reached out and rubbed Davis's back. "You don't want to fight your friends. But if you want to save Ken and Agumon, then you can't hesitate to fight them."

"But how can I?" asked Davis, a torn look on his face. "How can I fight my friends Jun?"

"I…" Jun paused, wondering what to say. She realized she didn't know what to say. She wouldn't know what to do if she was in Davis's position.

"That's what I thought," Davis muttered before pulling his blanket over his head. "Good night."

"Davis…" Jun said sadly before standing up and leaving the bedroom, where he saw Ryo sitting on the couch with Monodramon and DemiVeemon, the three of them having looks of concern.

"He's not taking it well, is he?" DemiVeemon asked sadly, getting a nod from Jun.

"He seems hesitant about fighting Ken and Agumon," she sat down in a nearby chair. "I don't know what I can say to him."

"I do," said Ryo. "But he needs to hear it from somebody else…particularly Matt."

"Matt? Are you sure?" asked Jun.

"Well, he does have the Crest of Friendship," said Monodramon. "So he may give Davis the right kind of advice."

"Let's hope so," said Jun, looking towards Davis's closed bedroom door. "I hate to see Davis like this."

"You're not the only one," sighed Ryo.

* * *

Jeri and Rika walked down the streets of Odaiba in silence. After they had returned from the human world, they were told of what had happened to Davis's team in Pyro Pit Prairie. While they suspected that SkullGreymon would appear, it still shocked them, even more so when they were told what SkullGreymon had did to ten DarkTyrannomon. Jeri had felt sick and Rika stared in wide-eyed shock.

But what stuck out the most in Jeri's mind was the look on Tai's face during the meeting. He barely said anything, nor did he look at anybody, and Kari and Takato had to pull him out of Izzy's apartment with Guilmon helping. The dead look in his eyes, the statue-like posture, it was all too familiar to Jeri. She had experienced it when she lost Leomon. Even though she knew Agumon was still alive, she still noticed how shaken up Tai was.

The pain of losing your partner by any means whatsoever is something that nobody, Digidestined or Digimon Tamer, should ever have to go through. But she went through it. And from what she saw on the show, TK went through it as well.

And she would be damned if she let Tai go through it as well. She had to do something.

"Jeri, are you all right?" Rika asked, noticing the angry look on her friend's face. Jeri stopped and breathed.

"No…I'm not all right," Jeri said, fists clenched. "I hate this Rika. I hated seeing that look on Tai's face when we came back. Dark Spore or not, what Ken's doing to Agumon is unforgiveable, and I can't let it stand! I won't let anybody else lose their beloved Digimon partner!"

"I know," Rika said, placing a hand on Jeri's shoulder. "But there's nothing much we can do right now."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"No…there is something we can do," Jeri clenched her D-Arc tightly in her hand while Calumon flew down from the sky and landed on her shoulder. "I don't care if I don't have Leomon, and I don't care if I have to go it alone…I'm going back to the Digital World tonight, and I'm going to get Agumon back!"

"Jeri, that's crazy!" Rika said in surprise. "Even if we saw the show, you don't know where Ken's base is!"

"No, but I do know where they met up with Agumon in episode 10," said Jeri. "Locomotown. If I find a train there, I can sneak into the Emperor's base and grab Agumon, and get back out before they even suspect a thing!"

"All by yourself?" Rika asked skeptically. "Jeri, I've never really doubted your potential as a Tamer, but I really have to call you out on this decision. Do you honestly think you can infiltrate a base by yourself and rescue Agumon?"

"Not by myself, no," Jeri said, smiling at Rika. Renamon appeared behind Rika, her eyes narrowed.

"Jeri…are you actually asking myself and Rika to help you rescue Agumon?"

"Tonight," said Jeri. "The sooner we get Agumon back, the better. I may be having rough luck finding Impmon, but I know if I can get Tai and Agumon back together. I might have better luck with finding Impmon."

'Oh boy,' Rika thought, running her hand across her face. She knew once Jeri was set on something, she was determined to do it…and it was clear there was no talking her out of this decision.

"Well Jeri…if that's what you want to do, then I'm with you all the way," said the red-haired girl, Renamon nodding behind her.

"Really?" Jeri asked in surprise.

"Yes," Rika said with a nod. "Let's get to the computer lab."

"Right!" Jeri and Rika immediately broke into a sprint for the school. Minutes later, they ended up in front of the gates, which were locked tightly. This was not a problem for the two girls as Renamon managed to leap over the gate with them in her arms, Calumon floating above the gates.

"All right, we have to be quiet," Rika whispered, and the group of four snuck down the halls quietly for the computer lab. But when they reached the hallway for the lab, they were surprised to see a bright light shining from the room.

"What is that?" asked Jeri.

"It appears someone may have left a computer on by accident before they left," Renamon observed.

"If they did, good for us," said Rika. "If those computers require a password, then we're sunk." The two girls walked into the lab with Renamon and Calumon, only to stop suddenly at the threshold when they saw a red-haired girl wearing a green school uniform sitting in front of the activated computer, a pink bird sitting by her side.

"Sora?!" Rika and Jeri gasped. Sora and Biyomon yelled in shock and stood up from their places, turning around to see who was standing before them.

"Jeri? Rika?!" Sora asked, breathing deeply. "How did you get in here?!"

"Renamon got us over the gate, how did you get in here?!" Rika asked, also in shock.

"I…I may have climbed over the gates as well," Sora said sheepishly, her face red with embarrassment. "What are you two doing here, anyway?"

"Shouldn't we be asking you the same question as well?" Rika asked with a raised eyebrow. "From what I know about you Sora, you can be rebellious for a girl, but not this rebellious."

"I…I know," Sora looked down sadly. "But when I heard about what happened to Agumon when we met at Izzy's apartment, and when I saw the look on Tai's face…I don't know what came over me, only that I knew I had to fix this somehow, so…" As the bearer of Love spoke, Renamon walked over to the computer that was on and looked at the screen, mildly surprised.

"You were searching the grid map for any possible sign of Agumon," the kitsune said without question, and Sora nodded.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Straight from the Heart ~Sora no Theme~)

"I wanted to go to the Digital World and see if I could rescue Agumon for Tai…but without a D-3 or a D-Arc of my own, and with Izzy and Henry still working on that Digivolution software program, what could I do?" Jeri couldn't help but smile softly at Sora's plan. Tai obviously meant much to her in this dimension than what was seen in the show, so much so that she would be willing to get lost in the Digital World to find Agumon for him. She wondered if Tai and Sora could possibly get together in this dimension with the right moves.

"Well…it's funny that you mention that," she said with a sheepish chuckle. "I had the same idea as well, that me and Rika go to the Digital World and see if we could rescue Agumon."

"You too?" Biyomon asked in surprise.

"Yes," Jeri nodded, a determined look back on her face. "I can tell the longer Tai and Agumon are separated, the worse they're both getting. I won't allow anyone else's partner to be taken from them."

"And I'm tagging along to provide some backup for Jeri," said Rika. "So are you with us, Sora?"

"I am," Sora said, her determined look matching Jeri's. The red-haired girl had been horrified to hear SkullGreymon had returned, and it broke her heart when she saw Tai unresponsive to everybody, looking dead to the world. It broke her heart…and it also lit a fire inside of her that wouldn't be extinguished until her best friend had his partner Digimon back by his side.

"So where are we going to search for Agumon?" Biyomon asked as Jeri sat down in front of the computer and began typing away.

"He's being held at the Digimon Emperor's base," Jeri said, pressing some buttons. "I don't know where the base is per se, but if we go to Locomotown, then we might be able to find a train that will allow us to sneak into the base and rescue Agumon."

"Is that what happened in the show?" asked Sora.

"…something like that," Rika answered after a moment. She knew in the show Wormmon released Agumon in hopes that Ken could use his experiments on him, but if Wormmon was loyal to Ken in this dimension and could Digivolve to Stingmon easily as Ryo said, then Agumon would possibly not be able to get out so easily this time around.

"Okay, the coordinates for Locomotown have been set in," Jeri stood up from the chair. "Rika, if you could?"

"No problem," Rika smirked and pulled out her D-Arc before turning to the little white Digimon hanging on Renamon's shoulder.

"Calumon, you'll have to stay here. Once we go through the Digital Gate, turn off the computer and get out of the school. Find the others and tell them what we're doing."

"Me?" Calumon asked nervously. "Are you sure about me?"

"Of course I am," Rika smiled softly. "You know what I told you?"

"Yeah, turn off the computer, get out the school, and tell the others," said Calumon. "But…how are you going to get back here?"

"We may not be back until tomorrow afternoon," Rika said grimly. "So it'll be up to you to spread the word."

"Okay!" Calumon nodded before Rika turned to the screen, D-Arc held high.

"Digital Gate, Open!" The screen flashed brightly, and the three girls and two Digimon went through the Digital Gate. Once the screen dimmed, Calumon went over to the computer and looked it over, wondering how to turn it off. He remembered being told that most computers are turned off when you press a big button.

"Hmm…there should be a big button…" Calumon looked until he found a button on the side of the screen. "Ooh! There it is!" Calumon pressed the button and the screen went black.

"Yay!" Calumon cheered his action before remembering Rika's next steps: " _Get out of the school and tell the others what we're doing_." The Catalyst thought for a moment before deciding who to tell.

"Ooh, I'll tell Ryo!" Spreading his big ears, Calumon took flight and flew out of an open window to look for Ryo.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

"No…this won't do at all."

The screen in front of Ken showed an image of a Dark Ring, but it was thicker than most. Ken pressed a button in front of him, and the image disintegrated.

"There has to be something that can work," Ken switched the screen to an image of Greymon kneeling in a large dome, looking ragged and defeated. After returning to base, Ken had Stingmon place Agumon in a testing area while he looked over the Dark Ring's schematics.

The last few hours, Ken had attempted to Digivolve Greymon to MetalGreymon, but every time he received SkullGreymon instead, and the skeletal monstrosity would go on a rampage in the testing area. Fortunately, the area was fortified and reinforced with Chrome Digizoid walls and an electrified fence, which would prevent escape. After the third attempt, Ken had finally come to the conclusion that the Dark Rings were not strong enough to control Ultimate level Digimon, and began working on a new method.

"If one Dark Ring is not enough…then maybe I need to create something more powerful than one Dark Ring…but how many, exactly?" Ken asked to himself. It came to him that if he placed more than one Dark Ring on an Ultimate level, it would provide total control over them, and it would mean more work for the Digidestined…but that would also mean that they would just have to break all the Dark Rings on said Digimon until one was left. It came to the young tyrant that he would have to place Dark Ring after Dark Ring on Greymon and Digivolve him until he got MetalGreymon, then use the number of Dark Rings he used to create a new device.

"Dark Ring number two," he ordered, and a second Dark Ring dropped down on Greymon in the area, clamping over his right arm.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"Greymon, Dark-Digivolve!" The D-3s screen lit up purple, and Greymon roared as he became SkullGreymon again. Once again, the skeletal Digimon was on a rampage, kicking and slashing at the walls and ramming his head against them, screeching like a banshee.

"GROUND ZERO!" The orange missile hit the roof in a fiery explosion, but the Chrome Digizoid metal did not break. Groaning slightly, SkullGreymon dropped to his legs and reverted to Agumon, who looked worse for wear.

"Two dark rings provided limited control…" Ken noticed before smirking. "Yes…I think I've almost got it!"

"Got what?" Wormmon asked from behind.

"The right way to control Ultimate level Digimon," said Ken. "I just need to make a few more calculations…Dark Ring number three!" Another Dark Ring appeared and clamped around Greymon's left arm. Ken raised his D-3 again, and SkullGreymon went on another rampage.

Wormmon could only watch on with a saddened look. What Ken was doing to Agumon was simply awful. Agumon was like him, a Digidestined Digimon, and it hurt him to see Ken using him like a lab experiment, as well as the fact that Ken forcibly took Agumon from Tai.

What was worse was he helped Ken in the kidnapping and experiments. Regret began filling the caterpillar Digimon as he began wondering if this was what he was really supposed to be doing as Ken's partner, helping him take over the Digital World.

'I wonder if I can do something…Ken, why can't you return to your old, kind self?'

* * *

"Here we are," said Biyomon. "Locomotown." The group looked around to see a dilapidated village surrounded by overgrown hills teeming with green grass and bright flowers. Several line of railroad tracks crisscrossed and zigzagged around it. And in the distance was a Control Spire.

"It's under the Digimon Emperor's control," Renamon said with narrowed eyes. "We must proceed with caution."

The female group quietly went down the hill to where the train tracks were. Once they reached the bottom of the hill, they quietly snuck through the village when they heard a train whistle sound.

"Get back!" Rika whispered, getting the girls into an alley. The red-haired girl stuck her head out the alley and saw a light appear out of a tunnel. A massive blue train came out of the tunnel, speeding along and chugging while blowing its whistle. Sora and Jeri looked over to see the train as well, blinking in surprise when they saw the train's front had blinking red eyes.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ankoku~Kibou)

"Okay…is that train alive?!" Sora asked. She had seen a lot of strange things in the Digital World before, but this definitely took the cake.

"That's not a train," said Rika, recognizing the locomotive instantly. "That's Locomon, an Ultimate level Digimon!"

"That's a Locomon?!" Biyomon asked in surprise. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one before!"

"Well, I have," Rika muttered, remembering when Locomon attacked on her birthday six months ago. The girls stayed quiet as Locomon pulled up to a nearby train station, where they saw several Gazimon and Gotsumon wearing Dark Rings, a number of crates of different sizes piled up behind them.

"What's going on?" Renamon whispered, seeing the Digimon load the crates on Locomon's cars.

"It's a delivery service for the Digimon Emperor," a voice whispered from behind. Sora and Biyomon screamed, Jeri gave a yell of surprise, and Renamon and Rika tensed up when they turned around.

"Stop!" the shadowed figure said before stepping into the moonlight. "I'm not your enemy!"

"Elecmon?" Jeri and Rika asked, surprised to see the Digimon they met earlier today in Wild West Town.

"So we meet again," Elecmon said with a chuckle. "What brings you here to Locomotown in the middle of the night?"

"My best friend's Digimon partner has been kidnapped by the Digimon Emperor," Sora said sadly. "From what Jeri and Rika said, if we took a train here, we could be able to get into the Emperor's base and rescue him."

"I see…" Elecmon said, looking over to the Locomon in the distance. "Well, you are correct in that assumption. The Locomon that the Emperor's slaves are loading up makes daily trips to the Digimon Emperor's base. He doesn't need to be controlled by the Emperor as the Locomon are purely machine Digimon, their one design to reach their destination."

"So they don't know that they're making deliveries to the Digimon Emperor?" asked Sora.

"No, they do not," said Elecmon. "If you are planning to break into the Digimon Emperor's base and rescue your friend, then perhaps you could do with some extra help."

"You're coming with us?" Jeri asked, getting Elecmon to look up at her.

"Yes, I am," said the red mammal Digimon. "Now…if we are to get on board Locomon, then we will need a hiding spot."

"What do you suggest?" asked Rika. Elecmon narrowed his eyes towards the train station before moving towards the crates.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"All right, is that the last of them?" asked a Gazimon, pushing a crate onto Locomon's caboose.

"Yeah, that's all," said a Gotsumon. "Take it away, Locomon!"

"WHOO-WHOO!" Locomon yelled out with his train whistle as he began pulling out of the station and went into a dark tunnel that would lead him to the Digimon Emperor's base.

Inside the caboose, a big crate popped open and dispensed Elecmon, Jeri, Rika, Renamon, Biyomon and Sora.

"Well, that was something else," Sora said, picking a Styrofoam peanut out of her hair. Renamon walked over to a wall and pulled off a clipboard attached to the wall.

"We should be reaching the Emperor's base in three hours," the kitsune said, reading the schedule on the clipboard.

"Then let's rest a little before we reach the base." Stretching out across a crate as long as her body, Rika closed her eyes and began resting, while Sora sat down, her back pressed up against a crate and Biyomon settled in her arms. Jeri sat down next to Sora, her mind fluttering with an important question.

(Play Digimon: Sayonara Dake ga Shitteta)

"Sora…I have to ask you something." The red-haired girl looked up to Jeri and nodded slightly, letting her continue. "How do you…feel…about Tai?"

"How do I feel about Tai?" Sora repeated, confused at the question.

"Yes," said Jeri. "Do you like him? I mean, really like him? Mimi told me you've been best friends since childhood, and how much you always spend time together. I even saw your friendship on the TV show, and I noticed how much you care for each other." Sora blushed slightly, embarrassed about hearing her and Tai being shown as friends in the show. She wondered if they ever got together in the show, because she definitely wanted that to happen in real life…but how could she tell him?

"I think you care so much about Tai…why else would you be willing to get lost in the Digital World to find Agumon and get him back together with Tai?"

Sora's blush didn't leave as she let Jeri speak. She wondered for a minute why she wanted to go into the Digital World. She felt sad, angry even, when she heard about Agumon. She was so angry, that the minute Ai and Mako were in bed, she took Biyomon with her and ran for the school's computer lab in order to find a way into the Digital World. She didn't have a D-3 or a D-Arc, but she wanted to get into the Digital World any way to help Tai, her best friend. Why would she…

It hit her. She loved Tai, so much so that seeing him in pain like this hurt her greatly. She couldn't stand it…and that was why she was here now in the Digital World.

"I do," she nodded slowly. "I do love Tai…it may sound corny, but he's really the only one for me…I'm just waiting for him."

"He may also be waiting for you," Jeri said before standing back up and moving over to a nearby crate Elecmon was sitting on. Sora pondered on Jeri's last statement, wondering if Tai had feelings for her as well and was waiting for her. The red-haired girl simply shook her head before drifting off to sleep.

"I have to admit Jeri, I'm impressed with your tenacity," Elecmon said to the amber-eyed girl. "You have no Digimon partner of your own, and yet you're willing to go into the fortress of the most powerful being right now in the Digital World to get your friend's partner back. I truly am impressed. You remind me much of my partner."

"I-I do?" Jeri asked, surprised at the warrior's praise. Elecmon nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. "Elecmon…what was your partner like?"

Elecmon smiled as he thought about the answer. "She was like you…very much like you. It's funny, I look at you and I see so much of her. She was a young and innocent soul, always encouraging her friends. She matured during her time in the Digital World, and while things were bleak for her, she was able to pull through with the help of her friends. She had the heart of a strong warrior." Jeri was quiet as she thought about Elecmon's description of her partner. Looking back to her past, she realized she did seem to have much in common with Elecmon's partner…and looking at Elecmon, she couldn't help but be reminded of her own partner.

Elecmon turned, and was surprised to see Jeri looking at him with a far-off look that unnerved him slightly.

"Um…Jeri…why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh! I'm sorry," Jeri shook her head. "But looking at you, and hearing you talk about me…it reminded me of my partner, Leomon."

"Leomon, you say?" Elecmon said with a raised eyebrow and a light chuckle. "I take it you see much of your partner in me as I see much of mine in you?"

"Yes," Jeri said with a sad smile. "Leomon always said that I had a lion's heart, and he believed everybody had their own destiny to choose and live out. He was a courageous Digimon who never backed down from anything…even when he died." She was quiet for a minute before talking again. "It's funny. When we first met, I was chasing him around the park saying we were destined to be partners, and I think it made him a little uneasy at first." Jeri chuckled at that embarrassing memory from her past. "But in the short time we were partners, I feel like I became a stronger person, even after I lost him. I did fall into despair when he died…but thanks to my friends, I was able to pull through."

"You seem like a strong person," Elecmon said with a smile. "And I would be honored if you considered me your friend." The red Digimon stretched out with a hand, and Jeri accepted it happily.

"Right! Friends!"

In the back of the caboose, Renamon smirked slightly as she watched the interaction between Jeri and Elecmon. Jeri didn't know, but the kitsune did know why Elecmon reminded Jeri so much about Leomon.

'She'll be in for a surprise,' she thought quietly. In Jeri's pocket, the screen on her D-Arc cleared up of static, unknown to the Tamer.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hypnos)

"All right, test number seven," Ken muttered, looking at the screen showing Greymon in the testing area. The orange dinosaur now wore five dark rings on his body: one around his neck, one on each arm, and one on each leg. Ken had received SkullGreymon again with three Dark Rings, and again with four Dark Rings. Both times, he had better control over SkullGreymon, but it didn't last long. Hopefully, this would go right.

'I hope we get MetalGreymon,' Wormmon thought for his own reasons.

"Greymon…DARK DIGIVOLVE!" Ken's D-3 glowed purple again, as did Greymon. Greymon's form grew and Ken waited with bated breath. When the glow faded, Ken laughed with triumph at what he saw. There, in the training area was MetalGreymon, but instead of orange skin, his skin was a deep blue. Ken suspected MetalGreymon's skin was blue because of the Dark Digivolution, but that hardly mattered. He had finally done it.

"Yes!" The Digimon Emperor stood up from his chair with a triumphant smile. "Finally, Greymon has become MetalGreymon!"

"But how do we know if he'll listen?" Wormmon asked worriedly, looking at the still dinosaur.

"Only one way to find out," said Ken. "MetalGreymon! Use your Trident Arm!"

Growling lowly, MetalGreymon lifted his left arm and fired the metallic hand, which soared through the air and buried itself in the wall before returning to him.

"Excellent," said Ken. "Now, Giga Destroyer!"

The chest plates on MetalGreymon opened up and the twin shark missiles flew out of the cannons and collided with the roof of the area.

"Finally, MetalGreymon is under my full control!" Ken laughed as the blue dinosaur reverted to Agumon. "It appears I'll need to create a device as powerful as five Dark Rings to control Ultimate level Digimon."

"Oh…that's good," said Wormmon. "So do we let him go now?"

"Let him go?" Ken looked over to Wormmon like he had just grown a second head before laughing. "Why would I let him go? This could be the most powerful Digimon in my army yet!"

"But he's exhausted!" said Wormmon. "He can't take much more!"

"For now, at least." With a snap of Ken's fingers, the Dark Rings detached themselves from Agumon's body and flew out of the area. "It will take some time to create the right kind of device, so we'll let Agumon rest while we work. Come, Wormmon!"

"Oh, Ken…" Wormmon muttered sadly, taking one last look at the screen showing an unconscious Agumon before following his partner out of the monitor room.

* * *

Hours passed by, and morning dawned on Odaiba. It was pouring rain and the sky was gray, no sign of sunlight. Everybody was in the school, waiting for class to begin. And in a certain room, a group of children and teenagers were talking together.

"What?! Jeri and Rika went into the Digital World last night with Sora!?" Ryo yelled in shock, looking at Calumon.

"Yeah. They told me to stay here in the Human World and tell you all," the little Digimon said, his ears shrinking down.

"Why would they do that?" asked Tai, concerned for his best friend and the other two girls.

"Well, it was an idea Jeri and Sora both had, and Rika tagged along so they could both be safe," said Calumon. "You see Tai, Sora and Jeri both wanted to rescue Agumon for you."

"What?" the brown-haired boy asked in disbelief.

"Sora wanted to rescue Agumon since you were her best friend and she cared a lot about you, and she hates seeing you so sad," explained Calumon, "and Jeri wanted to rescue Agumon since you seemed so sad yesterday."

"R…really?" Tai asked, still in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Calumon nodded.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"That's crazy!" Matt walked over to the computer and turned it on, bringing up the Digital Gate program. "Those three can't rescue Agumon by themselves!"

"And that program Henry and I made has been complete, but it hasn't been downloaded into Sora's Digivice yet," said Izzy. "We have to find them and help them rescue Agumon."

"As much as I want to agree with you Izzy, we can't right now," Henry said with a frown. "School's about to begin and if we all just vanish, it will cause a huge uproar. Sora, Rika and Jeri's absences alone will be very noticeable."

"Besides, they'll be fine!" Kazu said in confident tone. "After all, they've got Rika with them!"

"Yeah, that is true," Ryo chuckled. "I can't help but feel sorry for Ken if he runs into Rika. She's a girl to not be messed with."

"Tell me about it," Matt whispered, as he was letting the red-haired girl stay at his place.

"All right, we'll come back here today after school ends and head to the Digital World," said Takato. "Hopefully, we'll find a way to get the much bigger Digimon in here." Everybody else nodded and exited the computer room to head for class.

Davis thought about the three girls in the Digital World. He was concerned about Sora, as well as Jeri and Rika, being in the Digital World to rescue Agumon by herself. But he knew Sora well, and if she was careful, then hopefully, she would be able to rescue Agumon. If Sora was able to save Agumon, then that meant he wouldn't have to worry about fighting his mentor's partner Digimon. But he still had Ken to worry about. The burgundy-haired boy still was unsure about fighting his best friend, as it would hurt him even more.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

During the first class of the day, which was math, Tai could barely pay attention at all. He simply stared out the window as raindrops fell past the window and splattered on the concrete below.

"Now, the Pythagorean Theorem can be used in many ways in graphing problems…" the teacher's voice droned as he had his face to the blackboard, causing Tai to turn back to the class and scribble down what was on the board. But the brown-haired boy's attention slipped away from the class in less than two minutes and his eyes went over to the empty seat that was usually occupied by Sora.

The bearer of Courage was worried for his best friend. Biyomon was unable to Digivolve yet without Izzy and Henry's program, which meant if Sora got into any trouble, Biyomon wouldn't be able to do much to protect her, and Jeri didn't have a partner of her own. Tai didn't doubt Rika's ability to protect Sora and Jeri – Ryo and the other Tamers said that Rika was one of the strongest and most experienced of the Tamers, and they seemed to be telling the truth – but he wished he wasn't in class right now. Agumon was his partner, and he needed to be there to help save him. And if Sora was hurt with Rika or Biyomon unable to protect her, he felt it would be on him.

'Sora…please be careful…' Tai's thought suddenly drifted from Agumon to Sora. The red-haired girl had always been his best friend, always there for him whenever he needed a shoulder to lean on that wasn't his sister's or any of his parents'. They had done many things together, and the fact that he wasn't with her finding his partner right now made him anxious.

It also made him wonder why Sora did what she did. It wasn't like her to do something this reckless…

" _Sora wanted to rescue Agumon since you were her best friend and she cares a lot about you, and she hates seeing you sad._ "

Calumon's words came back to him, and he figured it out. Sora cared so much about Tai, that seeing him the way he was after returning from the Digital World affected her badly. It affected her so much, she was willing to brave the Digital World for his sake.

Tai suddenly remembered the day Greymon had first Digivolved to MetalGreymon. Sora had been kidnapped by a small robot Digimon called Datamon, and in order to get to her, Tai had to go through an electric fence. He had been afraid of dying if he went through the fence the wrong way, but he was willing to go through the fence if it meant saving Sora. He displayed true courage that day, and it dawned on him that Sora knew she was heading into a possibly dangerous situation, but she was willing to do it if it meant saving Agumon.

'Sora…' Tai thought with a sad smile as he looked back down at his paper, and blinked in surprise when he saw two folded pieces of paper on top of his notebook. Wondering where they came from, Tai looked up to see Ryo glancing behind his shoulder, and he looked around to see Matt stealing a glance at him. Curious as to what they wrote, Tai opened the first piece of paper to see it was written with Ryo's handwriting.

 _Don't worry, everything will be okay._

Smiling at Ryo's optimism, Tai opened Matt's note next.

 _I have band practice today, but I'll see what I can do about postponing it. No way I'm staying behind today. You need me, buddy._

'Good old Matt,' Tai thought with a smile, putting the notes in his pocket before returning to his textbook. After school, they would go into the Digital World, and he would teach Ken a lesson for taking Agumon and turning him into SkullGreymon…that is, if Sora didn't to it first.

* * *

"Wake up. We are arriving." Everybody in the caboose awoke to Renamon's voice. Stirring slightly, the girls and Elecmon could feel Locomon slowing down. Peeking out of a hole in the wall, Rika could make out a dark chamber with several Digimon wearing Dark Rings.

"Well, my friends…we are pilgrims in an unholy land," Elecmon said gravelly once Locomon had come to a complete stop. Opening the door slowly, Renamon poked her head out of the caboose and looked over for any approaching Digimon. Satisfied that they were all focused on the front cars, Renamon nodded to the rest of the group, and the group of six ran out as fast and quiet as they could from the caboose.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"All right. We need to find out where the cell blocks are," said Rika. "We do that, and we'll be able to find Agumon."

"Easier said than done," said Sora. "This place will be crawling with Digimon."

"And there's also the possibility of security cameras," said Elecmon. "The Digimon Emperor could very well have his eyes on us."

"Then what does that mean?" Biyomon asked worriedly, wondering if this would mean capture.

"It means we'll have to move fast," said Jeri. "The cells are probably…"

"Quiet!" shushed Elecmon. The group crouched down behind the crate and saw two Bakemon float past them.

"So did you hear about the Digimon Emperor's new creation?" asked the first Bakemon. "Apparently, he's making something new to control Ultimate level Digimon right now."

"Yeah, I heard that as well," said the second Bakemon. "And I heard his first test subject will be the Agumon in the testing area in the west wing…" The ghost Digimon floated past the group, unaware of their presence.

"The west wing," Jeri whispered once it was safe to speak again. "That's where he's being held."

"I heard that, but what were the Bakemon saying about Ken creating something new to control Ultimate level Digimon? Did he make something in the show?" asked Sora.

"Yes. It's called the Dark Spiral," said Rika. "It's more powerful and harder to break than a Dark Ring, and it doesn't need to be powered by a Control Spire to work."

"Well, that's a problem," Sora muttered. "All right, so we'll go to the west wing and grab Agumon…"

"No," Rika said firmly. "You and Jeri are going to the west wing. Elecmon's coming with you as well."

"What about you?" Jeri asked confused, though a part of her knew what Rika was planning.

"I'm going to pay his royal highness, the Digimon Emperor, a visit," Rika stood up with a hard look on her face. "Besides, if the Emperor's in his monitor room, then somebody needs to distract him so he doesn't sound the alarm on you."

"You also want to fight the Digimon Emperor, don't you?" Jeri asked with a giggle. "The Digimon Queen versus the Digimon Emperor!"

"Maybe a little of that as well," Rika smirked before running off with Renamon.

"All right. Let's go!" Elecmon said, leading the path that would take the rest of the group to the west wing. Entering the door to the west wing, they saw a sign lighting up before them.

DANGER! DO NOT PROCEED! DANGEROUS DIGIMON HELD IN TESTING AREA 5!

"Dangerous Digimon?" Sora read uneasily.

"He must have put that up when he was Digivolving Agumon to SkullGreymon," said Jeri. "Come on, he should be at the Rookie level now!"

"Hang on, Agumon!" Biyomon called, flying in the lead. "We're coming!"

* * *

Rika and Renamon scaled up the stairs of the Digimon Emperor's base as fast as possible. It was surprising to the duo that there were little to no Digimon around. But Rika suspected that since the Digimon Emperor thought himself to be so powerful, nobody would be foolish enough to break into his base. Well, he was wrong.

Renamon ran by Rika's side as always, eye sweeping the area for any security cameras or hiding Digimon when she suddenly heard a chuckle come from behind a door. A chuckle that sounded almost human.

"Rika." The red haired Tamer stopped when she heard her partner say her name. "I think I found the Digimon Emperor."

"Where?" she asked. Renamon pointed to a nearby door. Eyes narrowing dangerously, Rika walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Tiptoeing into the room with Renamon, the red-haired girl hid behind a wall when she saw the Digimon Emperor and Wormmon standing before a screen, the former typing on it. Looking around the corner, Rika noticed the screen was displaying a spiral in black color.

'He made it,' she thought grimly.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"So…this is…the new device?" Wormmon asked nervously.

"Yes," Ken chuckled. "The Dark Spiral. Based on the data I was able to gather from the numerous attempts at Digivolving Agumon, I was able to take the five Dark Rings I used on him, and I merged them together. This shall be my newest method of controlling Digimon. I'll still use Dark Rings now and then, but the Dark Spiral shall be used for Ultimate level Digimon, as well as any strong Champion levels. It's more powerful and much stronger than Dark Rings, and it doesn't have to be powered by Control Spires! I can deploy them anywhere in the Digital World!"

Rika scowled at what she just learned. The Dark Spiral would definitely create problems, but she was sure it was nothing they couldn't handle.

"And you've already made two," Wormmon said, diverting Rika and Renamon's attention back to the two.

"Yes," replied Ken. "The first one shall be used on Agumon. And as for the second one…" A button was pressed on the keyboard, and an image of Guilmon sprung up, making Rika and Renamon gasp in shock. Fortunately, neither Ken nor Wormmon heard the gasps as they were engrossed in the computer.

"That Digimon…wasn't he the one who fought SkullGreymon?" Wormmon asked in surprise. "Isn't he a partner Digimon as well?"

"Yes." Ken brought up images of Growlmon and WarGrowlmon as well. "This…Guilmon, as I believe he was called…is definitely a unique Digimon, one I've never seen before. His power is unbelievable. With this Digimon, and MetalGreymon under my command, not only will I finally get revenge on Davis and Ryo, but I shall finally achieve my ultimate destiny!" The boy threw his head back and laughed evilly, ready to unleash his newest creation on the Digital World. Nothing could stop him now, not even Davis and Ryo.

"…Feel better now, little boy emperor?"

Tensing up at the female voice he heard, Ken whirled around and yelled in surprise when he saw Rika standing in front of him, an unreadable expression on her face. Renamon appeared behind her, her face set in a glare.

"What the…who are you?! How did you get into my base?!"

"That's neither here nor there, is it?" Rika asked coldly, her hands clutching her D-Arc. Ken's eyes flitted down to the blue and white device, and he gasped seeing it.

"That device…you're another one of Ryo's friends!"

"Wow, the genius made an observation," Rika said in mock surprise. "Let me ask you a question, Ichijouji. Do you actually think you're bringing balance to the Digital World by making towers and enslaving other people's Digimon? Because you're not. And do you honestly think Davis and Ryo don't stand a chance against you?"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

"Of course they don't!" Ken yelled, angry at the girl for mocking him. "I've come up with every conceivable plan against them! With the Dark Spiral, I'll make them both pay! Ryo will pay for leaving me behind for three years! And Davis…he abandoned me when Sam died. He never came to me at all. I thought he was my friend…but in the end, he never was! I'll kill them both for what they did! And then, I'll take over the entire Digital World! With MetalGreymon and WarGrowlmon at my command, nothing will stop me from achieving my destiny!" Rika simply watched Ken yell at her with a bored expression.

"Are you finished?" she asked, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Let me get a few things straight to you Ichijouji: I do not believe in destiny. I don't believe everything is predetermined for you. You're simply acting like this because you read some crap prophecy and thought you were meant for it. And as for Davis never making contact with you, that's just as much as your fault as it is his. You could have met with him over the last three years, but you were just as wrapped in your own misery, and plotting the conquest of the Digital World. So that's on you."

"Don't talk like you know me, foolish girl!" Ken snarled, his hand twitching for his whip. "I am the ruler of this Digital World! Nothing can stop my Dark Spirals!"

"Congratulations, you made a new brainwashing device," Rika said in a slow clap. "Get real. Devimon had those before with his Black Gears. And stopping Digivolution with Control Spires…please. Etemon had his Dark Network before you had the Spires. And a lot of other Digimon have claimed to be king of this world, but it always failed for them."

"Face facts Ichijouji: You're a fraud. You think you're in charge of all of this, but when it comes down to it: You're not the king. You're just a pawn being moved around by the hand controlling every single piece on the chessboard. Millenniummon made you what you were from his Dark Spore. If you didn't have it, then you'd be average at best!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Ken screeched at the top of his voice. "I'm under nobody's control! I will be this world's savior, their king! You're nothing compared to me!"

"No Ken," Rika said with a frown. "You're nothing. I've fought far more dangerous threats in my world, threats that would make you piss your pants. Compared to the Devas, IceDevimon and the D-Reaper…you're just an annoying blip on my radar."

"WHY, YOU!" Ken yelled, lashing out with his whip. The whip lashed against Rika's cheek, but the red-haired girl didn't even flinch. Instead she just moved her hand up to the wound and inspected the blood. Ken and Wormmon could barely believe it. Hardly anyone could stand up from being struck like that.

"You will regret striking her," Renamon growled, moving for Ken before Rika raised her hand to stop her.

"No. He's mine," the red-haired girl glowered at the purple-haired boy. Ken's breathing was deep and shallow, but he breathed deep and chuckled at the girl foolish to fight him.

"You…you actually think you can defeat me? I've beaten men twice your size and age in judo! What makes you think you have a chance?"

"I know a few things you don't," Rika said before suddenly rushing the boy. Ken could only gasp as the red-haired girl grabbed him by the waist and threw him down to the ground. Snarling, Ken quickly turned around and lashed out with his whip again, but Rika grabbed it out of his hands and threw it to the side before kicking him in the side of the face.

"Let's see how tough you are without your toy!" Rika charged for Ken again, and the fight was on.

* * *

It was still raining when school ended, and Davis, TK, Kari, Takato and Henry dashed down the hall for the computer lab. Unsurprisingly, there was a big crowd in the room: Tai, Ryo, Izzy, Suzie, Cody, and the Digimon were in the room. Monodramon and Gatomon were pulling Guilmon in through the window.

"How did you manage to get here, Guilmon?" Takato asked, helping pull his partner in.

"Izzy's mom gave me a ride here," Guilmon said before shaking himself dry, spreading water everywhere.

"Agh! Guilmon, watch it! Don't get the computers wet!" Izzy yelled, shielding his face from the water.

"You guys are late," Tai said irritably.

"We're sorry Tai…" Kari said quickly.

"Okada and the guys started playing hockey with the brooms," explained Davis, "and the teacher yelled at us as well."

"Who's this Okada?" Tai asked, annoyed about a game of broom hockey making them late.

"He's on the same cleaning crew as us," explained TK.

"It was my fault for not stopping them," Kari said sheepishly. "Please don't be mad Tai. I know you're worried about Agumon and Sora…" Tai breathed deep and sighed, knowing he couldn't be mad forever.

"All right…so where's Kazu and Kenta?"

"They're with Ai and Mako," said Takato. "Since Jeri and Sora aren't here, they'll be taking the twins home today."

"What about Yolei?" asked TK, noticing the absence of the inheritor of Love.

"Still not here…" Poromon said, slightly upset about his partner being missing.

"Well, she still can't be having class," said Izzy. "That ended a while ago."

"Go look for her, then!" said Tai.

"I'll go!" said Cody, running out the lab with Suzie in tow. They didn't get far as the moment they stepped out the door, they saw Yolei standing in front of them, looking downcast.

"Never mind guys, she's right here!" Suzie and Cody walked back into the lab with Yolei walking slowly behind them. Davis noticed this, and walked over to the glasses-wearing girl.

"Yolei, is something wrong?"

"Are you sick?" Poromon asked, floating over to his partner.

"No…it's not that…" Yolei muttered sadly before sitting down in a chair. "I just…I don't feel like it today…after what happened the last few days…"

"If you're not up to it, then maybe it'd be best if you stay here," said Tai, making most of the group look at him in surprise.

"Tai, be nice…" Kari said in shock, going over to her brother and holding his arm.

(Play Digimon: Kanashimi 2)

"Hold on Kari, I don't think we should get your brother wrong," said Ryo. "Yolei, if you're not at your best, then it could be catastrophic for you and your partner."

"He's right," agreed Izzy. "Besides, I'll be staying as well to provide surveillance."

Yolei could only bite her lip. Her mind was steeping with recent events, and she could barely concentrate in class today. They were right when they said she would be a burden, and she didn't want to be a burden, yet at the same time she didn't want to stay here on the sidelines.

"Yolei, it's all right," Henry said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You're just having an off-day. I get it. We all have those moments."

"Don't worry Yolei!" Poromon assured his partner. "I'm sure everything will be okay in the end."

"Yeah…you're right…" Yolei sighed with resignation. "All right, I'll stay."

"Plus, if something goes wrong, you can bring in reinforcements," said Davis. "We have Mimi and Joe on standby, and Matt's seeing what he can do about his band practice."

"I bet Kazu and Kenta are upset about babysitting here," Terriermon chuckled.

"Babysitting?" asked Guilmon. "But Ai and Mako aren't babies. And why would Kazu and Kenta sit on Ai and Mako?"

"That's not what babysitting means, Guilmon!" Takato said with a laugh.

"Well, if this is everybody, then let's get Agumon back!" Tai said determinedly before turning to Izzy. "Have you found out where the girls went?"

"I have," said Izzy. "They took a Digital Gate to a place called Locomotown."

"Do you think that's where Agumon is?" asked Kari.

"Definitely," said Ryo. "Once we find the girls and Agumon, we get out immediately before Ken can catch us again. He'll have finished it by now."

"It?" asked Cody. "What's 'it'?"

"The Dark Spiral," said Takato. "After the fiasco with SkullGreymon, Ken's created a new device to control Ultimate level Digimon. What's more, the only way to free a Digimon with a Dark Spiral is to destroy the Spiral. The Dark Spirals are so powerful, they don't need to be powered by a Control Spire to work."

"I see," said Izzy. "This could make things more difficult. Fortunately, Henry and I finally managed to complete our program last night."

"So that means our Digimon can Digivolve now without worrying about the Control Spires!" TK said in surprise.

"Yes, but it needs to be downloaded into a Digivice and D-3 by a D-Ark." Izzy turned over to Henry. "When you find Sora, download the program into her Digivice."

"I got it," said Henry. "Takato, care to do the honors?"

"No problem!" Takato held his D-Ark in front of computer screen.

"Digital Gate, Open!" The screen flashed brightly and in a few moments, Yolei, Izzy, Poromon and Tentomon were the only ones left in the room.

"Yolei, do you want to talk?" Izzy asked the younger girl. Yolei simply shook her head and walked out the room without Poromon.

* * *

The group landed in on a grassy hill and they looked the distance to see a village down below.

"There. That's Locomotown," said Takato. "We go there and we'll find Agumon and the girls."

"The sooner we find them, the better," Davis said anxiously. "I don't want to get into another fight with Ken."

"Yeah, he'll probably attack us with even more powerful slaves," said Veemon, getting nods of agreement from most of the group.

A few branches lay strewn around the Digidestined. Cody picked one up and began swinging it around in anger, almost hitting Armadillomon in the nose.

"Woah! Cody, what's the matter?" asked the yellow armadillo, but Cody continued swinging the branch in anger until he heard it hit flesh, and then a moan.

"Ow! Takato, Cody hit me! He's mean!" Guilmon whined holding his head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Takato asked, upset that his partner was hurt. "You hit Guilmon and you almost hit your own partner!" Cody looked up and saw Guilmon rubbing his head and his anger instantly turned into regret.

"I…I'm sorry Guilmon…but it makes me so mad! Controlled or not, what Ken's been doing to the Digital World, Agumon and the Digimon has been nothing short of unforgiveable! Dishonorable!"

"Dishonorable?" Monodramon said with a laugh. "Do you honestly think Millenniummon ever gave a crap about honor? Of course he didn't! These types always do what's necessary to them to win, and if that includes controlling our own friends, then they'll do it and not consider the consequences! So why don't you put that stick away before you put somebody else's eye out?" The purple dragon pulled the stick out of Cody's hands and snapped it in two before throwing the halves aside.

"I'm sorry…" Cody said again.

"Come on, let's get down to the village so we can get some clues," said Tai. "And maybe take down that Control Spire."

"Right!" The group went down the hill, following Tai and Davis.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Moon Fighter)

"AGH!" Ken yelled as he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and thrown off his feet by Rika, landing hard on his side. The red-haired girl then jumped on him and began pummeling his face with punches.

"You talk big game Ichijouji, but you can't back it up when it's just yourself!"

"He's not alone!" Rika turned to see Wormmon preparing an attack. "STICKY…"

"Renamon, deal with that pest!"

"POWER PAW!" Renamon charged forward and knocked Wormmon away with a flaming paw. The brief distraction allowed Ken to push Rika off of him and charge for her, but Rika was prepared and lifted her feet up, kicking him back before standing back up and delivering a hard headbutt that broke his sunglasses.

"Ugh…" Ken groaned as he staggered back and felt blood dripping from his nose. It was practically impossible that this girl, who was his age, was able to hold her own against him, a judo expert.

"How…how are you able to fight me?"

"You've only learned martial arts in the Human World," Rika said a little smugly. "Me…well, I learned Tai Chi from a friend of mine, and my partner taught me a few moves that only she knows. Tell me, Ken…how does it feel knowing you've met your match?"

"I'm not finished with you yet!" Ken snarled as he ran forward to punch Rika, but the girl sidestepped him and rammed her fist into his stomach, causing the boy to gasp from the air leaving him and double over.

"Plus, your fighting style is predictable," Rika added before kicking him down again.

"Ken!" Wormmon cried in worry as he stood back up and made to reach his partner, but Renamon stood in his way.

"I don't think so Wormmon. This fight is between them."

"Get out of my way!" Wormmon growled, though he knew he wasn't very intimidating unless he was Stingmon.

"Why do you continue helping Ken when you know what he is doing is wrong? Why do you aid him when you know he's not himself?"

"I know Ken's not himself," Wormmon said, tears appearing in his angry eyes, "but I know deep down he's still the kind boy he was before, and someday he'll return to his old self. But I have to be there for him, because I'm his partner!"

"Ken won't return to his old self if you continue helping him like this," Renamon said sternly. "Being a partner is about more than just standing by them and fighting for them. It's also to keep them from doing what you know is wrong. If you know what Ken is doing is wrong, then you need see to it that you do something to return him to who he was before."

Wormmon could only stand in silence as he let Renamon speak and Rika and Ken continued their fight.

* * *

"Area 5…Area 5…" Jeri repeated to herself, running down the hallways with Elecmon, Sora and Biyomon. Soon, the quartet reached a door with a big number "5" plastered above it.

"This is it!" Elecmon drew out his sword and stabbed it into the control panel. The panel sparked with electricity and the door slid open. Sora entered the chamber first, and gasped when she saw Agumon lying motionless on the floor. He was breathing, so that meant he was alive.

"Agumon! Agumon, say something!" Sora ran over to the orange dinosaur and shook him softly. She looked down at the bruises and cuts on him and felt sick. What had happened to Agumon was nothing short of cruel.

Agumon stirred feebly and slowly opened his eyes, which lay on a familiar face.

"So…Sora?" Agumon tried to stand up. "Is…that you…?"

"Don't move, you're hurt," Elecmon came over to the injured reptile. "You'll only make your injuries worse."

"One of you will have to carry him out of here," said Biyomon, who looked at the two human girls.

"Sora, can you do it?" asked Jeri. "You're stronger than me."

"No problem." Sora turned around and got down on one knee. "All right, put him up." Jeri and Elecmon helped Agumon to his feet and propped him up on Sora's back. The red-haired girl latched her arms underneath Agumon's legs and stood up once his arms were around her neck.

"There we go," Sora said softly. "Don't worry Agumon, everything will be all right now."

"Where's Tai…?" he moaned.

"We'll get you back with him soon enough," said Biyomon.

"Let's go!" said Jeri. "I'll signal Rika to let her know we have him!" The girls ran out of the chamber with Biyomon and Elecmon. As she ran, Jeri pulled her D-Arc out of her pocket and pressed the middle button underneath the screen, and the screen flashed red. Had Jeri been looking down, she would have noticed the screen was no longer static.

* * *

Ken yelled as he managed to crawl away from Rika and grab his whip again, lashing out at the red haired girl. But Rika was prepared and kicked the whip away with her foot before charging for Ken and brought both her fists together, swinging and smashing them into the side of his head. Yelling from the strike, Ken stumbled down to the floor senseless. Before Rika could strike again, her D-Arc began flashing red, indicating a signal from Jeri, which meant one thing: They had Agumon, and they were heading back to Locomon.

"Renamon! We're going!" The kitsune nodded to her partner and went over to exit the room, Rika behind her.

"Get back here!" Ken yelled angrily, stumbling back to his feet. "You think you can just beat me up…insult me…invade my base…and get away with it?!"

"What makes you think I was the real threat?" Rika said with a smirk.

"What?" asked a confused Ken. "What are you talking about?"

"You're the genius," said Rika. "Surely you can figure it out." The door closed, and Ken was left to wonder what Rika meant. If she wasn't the real threat, then what was…

…and then it hit him like a runaway Monochromon.

"The testing area!" Sprinting towards the door, Ken immediately took a lift that would take him to where Agumon was.

* * *

Sora and Jeri ran behind Elecmon and Biyomon, so the Digimon would protect them and Agumon in case they ran to any of the Emperor's slaves. Running into the area where Locomon was, the group saw Rika and Renamon running out of the hallway and up to them. No one, except the barely stirring Agumon, could hold in their shocks when they saw the cut on Rika's cheek.

"Rika, you're bleeding!" Jeri ran over to her friend and ran her hand through the cut, feeling the blood. "Did Ken do that to you?"

"He did, but I barely felt it," Rika said truthfully. "Don't worry, I can get it fixed when we get back. We have to go before Ken raises the alarm!"

"I think that may be too late!" Biyomon pointed over to Locomon to see Gazimon, Gotsumon and Mushroomon advance towards them, preparing to attack.

"Rookies," Rika scoffed. "Renamon, walk all over them."

"With pleasure," Renamon charged as the brainwashed Digimon launched their attacks of electricity, rocks and poisonous mushrooms, and Rika swiped a card through her D-Arc.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! WARGREYMON BRAVE SHIELD!"

The orange shield appeared in Renamon's hands, protecting her from the attacks. The kitsune let out a yell as she threw the shield and knocked down a number of the Digimon and forcing more to step back.

"DIAMOND STORM!" The razor leaves flew forward and pelted the Digimon, shattering their Dark Rings.

"We'll have to get on Locomon himself and detach him from the cars!" said Rika. "Come on!" The group followed Rika and leapt into the train Digimon's engine room. Elecmon bent down and pulled out a bolt that attached Locomon to the rest of the train cars.

"Hey! Locomon!" yelled Rika. "Take us back to Locomotown! Full speed ahead!"

"All aboard!" Locomon yelled, his whistle blowing loudly as he began chugging away, slowly picking up speed.

"We'll have to put some distance between us and them," said Jeri, "and to do that, we'll have to add more fire to Locomon's boiler."

"I have the right card for that!" Rika pulled out another card and swiped it through the D-Ark.

"DIGI-MODIFY! HIPPOGRIFFOMON ACTIVATE!"

"Stand back!" Renamon said, feeling the power of the Ultimate level charging up in her. "HEAT WAVE!" A stream of flames flew from her mouth and into the boiler. The fires roared louder and Locomon was suddenly moving as fast as a bullet train, forcing everybody to hold on a part of Locomon, Sora handing Jeri off to Agumon.

"Okay, maybe that was the wrong card to use!" Rika yelled as they sped down the darkened tunnel.

* * *

Ken gnashed his teeth in anger as he looked at the security footage from Testing Area 5. This whole thing was a distraction so those two girls could rescue Agumon! He had never felt this angry before, and the anger rose when he saw Elecmon on the screen.

"That little red rat has been a thorn in my side for long enough!" he roared as he shot up from his chair. "Wormmon! Get as many Digimon as you can! We're going to Locomotown!"

'Oh dear…' Wormmon thought worriedly.

* * *

"So this is Locomotown," Gatomon looked around the village and noticed all the train tracks. "I've heard it's home to a number of Locomon."

"Locomon, huh?" Takato asked, remembering that name.

"I take it you know that Digimon?" asked Veemon.

"Yeah, six months ago, we had to fight a number of Parasimon controlling a Locomon," Henry said, grimacing slightly at that memory. "It was on Rika's birthday."

"Some birthday," Davis chuckled as the group headed for the Control Spire in the middle of the village. The ground in front of them suddenly burst apart and a Digimon the size of a small tree with a Dark Ring on his waist appeared before them.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Saa, Hashiridasou!)

"Fear me! I am Woodmon, the guardian of this area! I cannot be defeated!" The Digidestined and Tamers merely stared at the Digimon as if he was a brief annoyance.

"Henry?" Terriermon asked in a deadpan tone. Henry nodded and pulled out a Digivolution card and his D-Ark.

"I'll take care of the Control Spire," Ryo repeated Henry's actions and Monodramon nodded.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARGOMON!"

"MONODRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STRIKEDRAMON!"

"Fear me, maggots! BRANCH DRAIN!" Woodmon stretched out with his arms, but Gargomon easily jumped up and aimed his own arms at Woodmon.

"DUMDUM UPPERCUT!" The glowing metal arm smashed into Woodmon's face and sent him flying off his feet, shattering the Dark Ring and knocking the tree Digimon unconscious.

"STRIKE FANG!" Strikedramon ignited his body and ran through the Control Spire, which crumbled away to pieces.

"All right, that's taken care of," said Lopmon. "Now we need to find our friends." Before anyone could move, a loud rumbling noise was heard in the distance.

"Does anybody else hear that?" asked Kari, who received nods from the other kids and the Digimon.

"Yeah…it sounds like it's coming from that tunnel over there," Gargomon raised his ears and pointed to a nearby tunnel. A bright light suddenly appeared in the tunnel and a massive shape began to come closer at breakneck speed.

"Everybody get out of the way!" yelled Gatomon. The Digidestined and Tamers leaped off the track they were on as a Locomon barreled past them at an incredible speed before running off the tracks and burrowing himself in the ground. The wheels stopped spinning and Locomon groaned from moving so fast.

"Destination…reached…" he groaned. The entire group looked up and were surprised when they saw who was behind the controls.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Story Ending)

"Rika and Renamon!" said Strikedramon.

"And Jeri's with them!" said Takato.

"And so is Elecmon," Lopmon noted.

"Takato!" Jeri leaped off of Locomon and ran over to the brown-haired boy, wrapping her arms around him in a crushing hug. "We managed to rescue Agumon!"

"Ooh, where is he?" asked Calumon.

"He's over there," Renamon pointed over to the motionless Locomon, where Tai saw…

"Sora! Agumon!" the bushy haired boy yelled as he ran to his best friend, who was tending to the orange reptile with Biyomon's help.

"Agumon!" Kari gasped when she saw the bruises and scratches on the reptile's body. "He needs medical attention."

"And so do you," Ryo said to Rika when he saw the cut on her face.

"I think I saw a hospital this way," said Suzie. "Follow me!"

Taking Agumon from Sora's arms and hoisting him up with Davis's help, Tai ran for the building Suzie pointed out.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

Turning off the sink, Yolei sighed sadly as she looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the glum look on her face before looking at her D-3, which lay before her.

"When did I ever think this was so easy…" she muttered as she walked out of the bathroom, bumping into someone and nearly falling over. Fortunately, the person she bumped into managed to catch her before she fell.

"Sorry about that, I'm in a hurry…Yolei?" The lavender haired girl looked up at the familiar voice and saw Matt looking down at her, Gabumon by his side in a dark blue hooded sweatshirt.

"Matt? You were able to get out of band practice?"

"Yeah, it turned out to be a lucky thing," said the blond-haired boy. "The drummer came down with a stomach bug and he was absent today."

"Oh…so that means you'll be going to the Digital World…" Yolei said, looking down again. Matt noticed her sad look and frowned slightly.

"Yeah…is everybody still waiting?"

"No, they went on ahead…it's just me and Izzy."

"You didn't go?" Matt asked in surprise. "Why? From what I've seen of you, and from what Sora and Mimi told me about you, you're usually the first one to open the Digital Gate and go in."

"Yeah, but…I didn't feel like it today…not after yesterday when I saw SkullGreymon…" Yolei muttered sadly. "I can't help but wonder what would happen if it was Hawkmon."

"Probably the same thing," Gabumon said bluntly, making Yolei's face look more downcast.

"You're not helping," Matt muttered to his partner before turning to Yolei again. "I get it Yolei. Believe me, I still have bad memories of SkullGreymon…"

"That's not all," continued Yolei. "Things have been getting so serious lately, and yet I'm taking it lightly…maybe that's just who I am, or there's a bigger picture that I haven't seen yet."

"Maybe," said Matt.

"What should I do?" asked Yolei.

"I get it, you're afraid," said Matt. "We're all afraid Yolei. But the best we can do is overcome that fear, and help our friends the best we can. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah…I think I can," Yolei nodded.

"Don't think, just do," said Matt. "Now let's get going to the computer room."

"Right!" Feeling her confidence returning, Yolei ran to the computer room with Matt and Gabumon to find Mimi and Palmon with Izzy, Tentomon and Poromon.

"Oh, Yolei!" said Mimi. "Izzy told me you were feeling down…"

"I'm feeling much better," Yolei said quickly. "Izzy, is the Digital Gate still open?"

"Yes," Izzy said, surprised at Yolei's change in attitude.

"Good, I'm going!"

"So are we!" Matt said about himself and Mimi.

"All right, good luck," Izzy said as Yolei held up her D-3 and was sucked into the computer with Matt, Mimi, and the Digimon.

"Well, that was something," commented Tentomon.

"Well, Yolei's like Mimi," replied Izzy. "She never lets anything get her down for long."

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni)

"There we go," Gatomon cut the extra bandages with her claws. "Don't move much, and you'll heal up fine."

"Thank you," Agumon said gratefully to Gatomon. The Digidestined and Tamers were in the small hospital where they managed to disinfect and bandage Agumon's wounds as well as the cut on Rika's cheek. Gargomon and Strikedramon stood outside, standing guard for any attacks. Once he was bandaged up, Agumon leaned over and wrapped his arms around Tai in a hug, small tears forming in his eyes.

"Thank you for coming Tai…I knew you'd come…"

"I couldn't just leave you like this," Tai said, his voice cracking a little. "I just wish I had gotten here sooner, it was Sora and Jeri who did most of the rescue work."

"Yeah, and Rika held off Ken so nobody would be alerted," added Jeri.

"You actually fought Ken and won?" Ryo asked with a laugh. "Nice, Rika! I knew you were tough, but that was something else!"

"Oh, stop it," Rika said with a glare and a blush. "He may be your brainwashed friend, but you would have done the same if it was you."

"Heh, heh…yeah, that's true," Ryo said, looking down to the floor, the embarrassed look now on his face.

"Sora, why did you do that anyway?" asked Tai. "Calumon said it's because you cared a lot about me since we were best friends…but is that true?"

"It is true," Sora said after a moment of considering her answer. "I couldn't sit by and let you continue worry about Agumon unless I did something. I know comforting you wouldn't work much, so I guess I…just pulled a you. Besides, you saved my life from Datamon, and I never got to repay you."

"Well…um…thanks," Tai walked over and hugged Sora tightly, the red-haired girl returning the embrace. "Do you think we can meet up somewhere once we get home?"

"Sure," said Sora. "I'd love that."

"Are you okay as well, Jeri?" asked Takato.

"Yes, I'm fine," Jeri said with a light smile. "We managed to rescue Agumon and Rika only got one scratch on her face. I know what I did was crazy and wrong," her face dropped down, "but like Sora, I couldn't bear seeing Tai separated from his partner."

"Yeah, what you did was crazy and wrong, going in without much help," said Takato, "but you did great. I know Leomon would be proud of you."

"Yes…he would," Renamon said with a light smile as he looked over to Elecmon, who was also standing outside with Gargomon and Strikedramon.

"Hey guys," said Davis, "if Agumon and Rika have been patched up, then maybe we should get home now. If Rika did hand Ken's ass to him, then I have a bad feeling that Ken may come down on us hard if we don't leave yet."

"He's right," said Ryo. "We came here to free Agumon. Now that we have him, let's get out of here."

"Uh, guys?" called Gargomon. "I think we may be a little too late." The entire group ran out the building, Guilmon supporting Agumon along the way. Once they ran out, they saw Ken standing on top of a platform, his cape swishing in the wind and Stingmon by his side. Even from up high, the Digidestined could see the sneer on his face, which bore several bruises.

"Great," Davis moaned, not wanting to run into Ken again.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"I have to give you ladies some credit, you were rather brave to rescue Agumon," Ken said, glaring down at Sora, Rika and Jeri. "But you were also foolish, especially you!" He pointed to Rika, who merely rolled her eyes.

"The only foolish one is you!" yelled Tai. "You made a mistake taking Agumon from me, and I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

"Big talk, Kamiya!" yelled Ken. "Your partner can't even fight properly!"

"Because of you!" Cody yelled angrily. "What kind of a human being does this," he gestured to Agumon, "to someone else?!"

"One who will not be denied his revenge and his destiny!" Ken answered before snapping his whip in the air. A loud screeching sound filled the air and everybody looked up to see five large black dragon-like Digimon drop down from the sky, Dark Rings on their arms.

"Devidramon!" Takato gasped, recognizing the Digimon as the first one Guilmon ever fought as Growlmon.

"They're not the only ones!" Gargomon gasped when he looked behind him. "Henry, he's got Gorillamon!"

"Gorillamon?!" Henry asked, turning around to see five white gorillas with cannons for their right arms, and their left arms wearing Dark Rings.

A building near TK blew up and revealed five Digimon shaped like tanks with machine guns attached to their arms.

"He's also got Tankmon!" said Tai.

"What else does he have?!" Suzie's question was answered with a loud roar and five Digimon that looked like bears with purple fur appeared on top of another platform.

"Grizzlymon," Rika identified the Digimon through her D-Ark. "Beast type Vaccine Digimon, Champion level. They have exceptional grappling abilities, and their special attack is Maul Attack, where they strike their enemies' vitals."

"There's too many of them, even for us!" Armadillomon said in worry.

"Don't say that, we've been through worse!" Rika said, preparing a Digivolution card.

"I'll give you an ultimatum," Ken then called down to the Digidestined. "If you surrender Agumon and the red Digimon you call Guilmon to me, then I shall call off my soldiers and you'll only have to deal with MetalGreymon and WarGrowlmon under my command!"

Tai prepared to call out Ken on the ridiculousness of Ken's offer, but Takato beat him to it, glaring up at Ken with hatred.

"You can take that offer and shove it up your ass!" the brown-haired boy yelled, making Jeri, Henry and Rika gasp in surprise at Takato's remark. "We'll never give you back Agumon, and I would die before I ever let you get your hands on Guilmon! You may not be yourself right now Ken, but you just threatened Guilmon…and I draw the line right there! Let's get him, guys!"

"Right!" everybody else said, making Ken sigh in annoyance.

"Very well then. If I can't get what I want the easy way, then I'll take it by force! Attack, my slaves!"

The Digimon roared as they advanced for the Digidestined and Tamers, who were prepared to Digivolve their Digimon, when…

"EAGLE EYE!"

"WOLF CLAW!"

"FLOWER CANNON!"

Two red laser beams, and a blade of energy shaped like an X, and a green shell of energy flew at the Digimon, colliding with several Tankmon and Grizzlymon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"Hey! Are we late for the party?!" The group looked over to see Halsemon flying towards them with Yolei, Matt and Mimi on his back. Lillymon flew next to the red griffin, and WereGarurumon leapt off of rooftops to catch up.

"Not at all!" Cody called out, happy to see his friend again before turning to Davis with a serious expression. "Davis, give me your D-Terminal, and I'll give you yours!"

"What?" Davis asked in surprise.

"Don't argue! We'll have to fight our way past this, and maybe we can do it if Veemon and Armadillomon take on new Armor levels!"

"But…" Davis hesitated, not wanting to fight Ken again.

"Davis," Ryo said firmly. "We have to do this." Davis swallowed the lump building up in his throat before passing his D-Terminal to Cody, who did the same thing as well.

"Sora, hold up your Digivice," Henry told the red-haired girl. Sora did so, and Henry raised his D-Ark, a beam of light shooting from the screen and going into Sora's Digivice. "There. Now Biyomon can Digivolve even around Control Spires."

"Really?" Sora asked with a big smile. "Thanks, Henry!"

"All right, let's do this!" Rika and Suzie pulled swiped the Digivolution cards through their D-Arks as Sora raised her Digivice in the air and Davis, Cody, Kari and TK raised up their D-3s.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!"

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SOARING HOPE, PEGASUSMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LIGHT OF SMILES, NEFERTIMON!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…HONEYBEEMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BOARMON!"

"Biyomon!" Sora said to her partner with a hard look in her eyes that Biyomon shared as well.

"I'm on it, Sora!" Biyomon leaped into the air and took flight as she glowed brightly with Sora's Digivice and Digivolved straight to her Ultimate level.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"BIYOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BIRDRAMON!"

"BIRDRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARUDAMON!"

"Go!" yelled Tai. Garudamon screeched loudly as she spread her wings in the air and flew into the air with Pegasusmon and Nefertimon to engage the Devidramon in combat.

"SHADOW WING!" The bird woman thrust her arms forward to release a flaming bird at the Devidramon. Two of the black dragons dodged the attack, the other three were struck by it and spiraled out of the sky.

"Garudamon, take on the Devidramon that fell!" said Pegasusmon.

"We'll handle the other two!" said Nefertimon. Garudamon nodded and flew down to engage the Devidramon trio, swiping her massive claws at them in order to break their Dark Rings.

"CRIMSON CLAW!" The Devidramon engaging Nefertimon lashed out with his blood red nails, but the sphinx Digimon expertly dodged the swipes and released her Beam of Isis, hitting him in his red eyes, making the dragon screech loudly.

"EQUIS BEAM!" Pegasusmon's green beam flew out and hit his Devidramon, but the black dragon resisted the attack and released his Red Eye attack, a red beam from his eyes to paralyze the flying horse, but Pegasusmon blocked the attack with another Equis Beam before releasing his Star Shower attack.

* * *

Down below on the ground, Kyubimon dashed on the ground with Rika on her back, dodging the Tankmon's blasts.

"HYPER CANNON!" The Tankmon fired shell after shell from their cannons, but the yellow fox proved to be too nimble for the cyborg Digimon.

"Rika, power up!" said Kyubimon.

"DIGI-MODIFY! OFFENSE PLUG-IN A!"

"FOX TAIL INFERNO!" The attack was stronger than before thanks to the card, and the nine fireballs soared and danced around three of the Tankmon, three fireballs for each one. The three Tankmon yelled in pain from the flames before collapsing, their Dark Rings shattering from the heat of the flames. The other two Tankmon attempted to fire on Kyubimon, but Armadillomon's Courage evolved form Boarmon, who greatly resembled a boar with flaming fur, charged forward and rammed into one Tankmon. The flaming Digimon barely felt the collision as he rammed the Tankmon into his fellow Cyborg Digimon.

"NOSE BLASTER!" Flames spewed from Boarmon's snout and enveloped the two Tankmon, sending them crashing into a boulder, breaking their Dark Rings off.

* * *

"ENERGY CANNON!" Two Gorillamon fired their attacks at Gargomon, but the hunter Digimon, who had experience with Gorillamon, dodged the attacks by jumping into the air and spreading his ears to fly.

"GARGO PELLETS!" The bullets flew down and pelted the Gorillamon, forcing the two Digimon back. The Gorillamon on the left roared loudly as he leapt on a nearby building to get out of Gargomon's firing range, before blasting him down with his cannon.

"Gargomon!" Henry called out to his partner in concern.

"I'm fine Henry," Gargomon stood back up and shook the cobwebs out of his head. "But we need to stop these oversized monkeys from moving around so much! Do you still have the Training Grips card?"

"Yeah, I do," Henry smiled faintly, remembering the last time they fought a Gorillamon. The blue-haired boy quickly pulled out the card and swiped it through his D-Arc. A glowing light enveloped Gargomon's ears, and metal braces appeared on them.

"Come and get some!" Pulling his ears back and thrusting them forward, Gargomon released the braces and they clamped shut around the Gorillamon's upper bodies, restraining their arms.

"DUMDUM UPPERCUT!" Dashing forward, the dog-man Digimon rammed his guns into both gorilla Digimon's left arms, shattering their Dark Rings to pieces. Not far away, the other three Gorillamon attempted to blast Lillymon out of the sky, but the fairy Digimon weaved through the attacks while blasting them with her Flower Cannon, forcing them together back-to-back.

"VICIOUS VINE!" Lillymon created two vines in her hands that sprouted thorns, and she dropped down on the trio, forcing them apart as she swung around with her weapons, slicing through the Dark Rings like tissue paper.

"Woah!" Gargomon gaped at the flower fairy. "You're definitely stronger than I thought you to be!"

"Well, looks aren't everything," Lillymon said before taking flight to aid Garudamon, who was now being aided by Halsemon against the Devidramon.

* * *

"MAUL ATTACK!" One of the Grizzlymon launched himself at WereGarurumon, who raised his arms and blocked the massive bear Digimon, fighting him in a battle for strength. Grizzlymon was strong for a Champion level Digimon, but he was fighting an Ultimate level Digimon.

Roaring at the bear, WereGarurumon headbutted him, disorienting the massive bear as he lifted him over his head and threw him into the ground. The werewolf then bent down and tore the Dark Ring off easily.

"Come on, you mangy furballs!" Suzie challenged the two Grizzlymon fighting Turuiemon. The two bears roared as they charged the Champion level Digimon, but the rabbit warrior crouched down low and leapt up at the last second, causing both Grizzlymon to land hard on the ground.

"NINJA CLAW!" Bringing down her claws, Turuiemon dropped down on the Grizzlymon and swiped through the Dark Rings. As this happened, the remaining two Grizzlymon attempted to fight WereGarurumon, but the werewolf Digimon grabbed one by the throat before throwing him into the other.

"GARURU KICK!" An energy blade was released from WereGarurumon's strong kick, and the two Grizzlymon were free from their Dark Rings.

* * *

"Stingmon, get Agumon and Guilmon!" Ken barked to his partner, knowing he had little time left.

"R…right," Stingmon said reluctantly, flying down to get the two exposed Digimon, but Strikedramon intercepted him in mid-flight, ramming into him headfirst and knocking him to the ground.

"Stand down, Stingmon!" said the dragon man. "It won't do me any pleasure to defeat you!"

"Me neither, Strikedramon," Stingmon said before extending his arm blades and engaging his old friend in battle.

"Blast!" said Ken. "It looks like I'll have to do it myself!" Before he could move off the platform, Veemon's new form, a yellow bee Digimon with blue skin, flew up at him, his stinger shining dangerously.

"Sorry Ken. This won't kill you, but it won't tickle either! PARALYZE STING!" Honeybeemon attempted to paralyze Ken, but the young tyrant was able to duck and jump off the platform, landing on a nearby rock.

By this point, Agumon had seen enough. He didn't care if he was still hurting, or if he hadn't eaten in the past day, he was aiming to get revenge for what Ken did to him and his friends.

"That does it Ken!" the orange reptile ripped off his bandages as he broke away from the group and charged for the Digimon Emperor. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me!"

"Agumon, wait!" Guilmon called, chasing after Agumon. "You're still hurt!"

"Guilmon, get back here!" Takato yelled as he broke into a run with Tai and Davis. "It could be a trap!"

"How right you are," Ken cackled as he pulled out two black objects and tossed them into the air. Before either Agumon or Guilmon could react, the objects, which were the new Dark Spirals, landed on their arms. Both of them cried out in agony and collapsed to the ground before standing back up again. Agumon's eyes were blood red while Guilmon's eyes were shut.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Agumon!" Tai yelled in shock.

"GUILMON, NO!" Takato screamed in horror.

"PEPPER BREATH!" Agumon shot his fireball at Tai, but Davis managed to push his mentor out of the way before it could hit.

"Yes!" Ken laughed with triumph. "Agumon and Guilmon are now under my control with my new Dark Spirals!"

"NO!" Sora and Jeri cried in horror. After all the work they went through, Agumon was with the Digimon Emperor again, and now Guilmon was his slave as well.

"No…Guilmon…" Takato shook like a leaf as he looked at his partner, now a brainwashed slave. "This can't be!"

"Oh, but it is!" said Ken. "Watch! Guilmon, attack your former partner!"

"NO!" Jeri yelled with faint tears in her eyes. "GUILMON, DON'T DO IT!"

"Takato, get out of the way!" Rika yelled as flames began appearing in Guilmon's mouth.

"Guilmon…don't do this…!" Takato begged. Ken smirked as Guilmon opened his mouth…

"PYRO SPHERE!"

…and the smirk suddenly turned into a look of shock when the red fireball hit him in the chest and sent him flying ten feet away.

"What?!" he yelled as he stood back up and noticed Guilmon had turned around, his back now to Takato. "Guilmon, what is the meaning of this?! Why did you attack me?!"

"Because…" Guilmon's eyes opened to reveal yellow pupils instead of red, "…you tried to make me hurt Takato. And that is unforgiveable!" The red reptile snarled as he pulled the Dark Spiral off his arm and threw it at Ken. The Digimon Emperor was so shocked at what he saw, he yelled in surprise when the Spiral originally on Guilmon hit him in the face.

"Ken!" Stingmon yelled as he was pushed back by Strikedramon.

"Gu…Guilmon…!" Takato cried happily, throwing his arms around his partner in relief.

"What the…the Dark Spiral didn't work on Guilmon?!" Kari asked in surprise.

"But how?" asked TK.

"It must be because Guilmon and our Digimon are from an alternate universe," realized Henry. "They're not only immune to the Control Spires, but they're also immune to the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals!"

"But that's more than we can say about Agumon," Gargomon said gravelly, looking at the orange reptile.

"Agumon!" Tai yelled to his partner, but Agumon said nothing as Ken stood up with a sneer.

"No matter. Even if I don't have Guilmon, I still have the other Digimon that I came for!" The purple-haired boy raised his D-3 in the air. "Now Agumon! Dark-Digivolve!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…METALGREYMON!" The cyborg appeared in place of Agumon, but like when Ken Digivolved him earlier, his skin was blue.

"Metal…Greymon!" Matt said in shock.

"But he's all blue…" TK said in a confused tone. Henry pulled out his D-Ark to analyze the Ultimate level before them.

"MetalGreymon. Ultimate level Cyborg type Digimon. His attacks, Giga Destroyer and Trident Arm, are still the same, but the reason his skin is blue is because he's a Virus attribute instead of a Vaccine…"

"As expected," Ken chuckled. "Now I can control Ultimate level Digimon with no problems at all!"

"MetalGreymon!" Tai yelled as he ran up to his partner.

"Tai, no!" Davis yelled as Honeybeemon dropped down next to him. "It's too dangerous!"

"It's me! Don't you recognize me?!" Tai yelled up to his partner, refusing to lose him again.

"Talking is useless," Ken said simply with a bored look on his face. "Now MetalGreymon, show them your power as one of the most powerful Cyborg Digimon ever!"

"Yes…master…" MetalGreymon growled, raising his metal arm up and bringing it down on a shell-shocked Tai.

"Watch out!" Takato yelled, pushing Tai out of the way of the claws.

"Takato, I need to become WarGrowlmon!" Guilmon said, running up to his Tamer.

"Right!" Takato prepared to pull out the Blue Card, but MetalGreymon lashed out with his tail and struck the duo, sending them flying off their feet.

"TAKATO!" Jeri screamed upon seeing her friend get hurt.

"Agumon!" Garudamon dropped down from the sky and landed in front of her friend. "Snap out of it!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shitou)

MetalGreymon simply growled as he grabbed Garudamon by the throat and lifted her off the ground before throwing her away from him. The bird woman crashed into the ground and collided with WereGarurumon and Turuiemon. The two Digimon attempted to catch Garudamon, but she was simply too big for them and the three slid across the ground, Garudamon and WereGarurumon reverting to their Rookie levels.

"GIGA DESTROYER!" MetalGreymon's missiles soared in the sky and exploded in midair, the shockwaves from the explosion knocking Halsemon, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon out of the sky.

"Agumon, stop this!" Tai yelled as he ran over to his partner, but was restrained by Davis and Ryo.

"Tai, stop it! You're only going to get yourself killed!" Ryo held on to Tai's right arm.

"But…!" Tai spluttered, struggling in the grip of the two boys.

"Tai, please!" Sora pleaded, running over to her best friend. "We have to let them break off the Dark Spiral! MetalGreymon doesn't recognize you anymore! It's the only way!"

"S…Sora…" Tai whispered as he went limp. Feeling that he wouldn't run off again, Ryo and Davis released Tai and he collapsed to his knees in despair. Sora bent down and wrapped her arms around Tai in comfort.

"Hang on, MetalGreymon!" Lillymon flew in a circle around MetalGreymon, preparing an attack to restrain the Virus Ultimate. "FLOWER…"

"REVENGE FLAME!" MetalGreymon opened his mouth and dark blue flames flew out, enveloping Lillymon.

"AAAGHH!" Lillymon screamed as she fell to the ground and was kicked into Boarmon. The two Digimon slid in front of Cody and reverted to their Rookie forms as well.

"Palmon!" Mimi cried, holding her partner in her arms. "Stay strong, Palmon!"

"Armadillomon, hang in there!" Cody begged his partner.

"DUMDUM UPPERCUT!"

"DRAGON WHEEL!"

Kyubimon's flaming dragon succeeded in hitting the Dark Spiral thanks to an accuracy card from Rika, but the sinister device showed little to no damage. Gargomon leaped up on MetalGreymon and rammed his guns into the Spiral, but it still showed no damage. Roaring loudly, MetalGreymon grabbed Gargomon and threw him into Kyubimon. The two Digimon remained in their Champion forms, but were still in pain. As the fight continued, Jeri continued looking from MetalGreymon to Ken in sadness.

"STRIKE CLAW!" Strikedramon leapt up to hit the Spiral, but MetalGreymon swatted him back down.

"It's no use!" said Honeybeemon. "He's moving too fast, and he's too strong!"

"GIGA DESTROYER!" MetalGreymon fired his missiles again, but this time they were aimed at the Digidestined and Tamers.

"Watch out!" Honeybeemon stood in front of the Digidestined, and Halsemon, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon stood with him, taking the attack for themselves. The resulting explosion knocked everybody off their feet and reverted the Armor level Digimon to their previous selves.

"Do you see now the power of the Ultimate level?" Ken said with a laugh. "With MetalGreymon, I shall be one step closer to achieving my goal!"

"Damn it Ken…" Davis growled as he stood back up and glared at his friend in anger. "Are you this driven by revenge on me and Ryo that you're willing to take control of our friends? Make us fight one another?!"

"This is about more than revenge Davis," Ken answered. "This is about my destiny! After the second time Millenniummon fell, I saw a vision of the entire Digital World being plunged into eventual chaos due to a lack of darkness."

"Funny, that's what Millenniummon said," Veemon grumbled.

"Millenniummon was a psychopath who didn't know right from wrong," said Ken. "But I saw a vision that somebody, a human who had seen the light and darkness of both the Human World and the Digital World, was destined to rule the Digital World as the Emperor, and balance the light and darkness properly. I knew that somebody was me. My destiny had been chosen from what I saw! And I shall achieve that destiny, no matter what!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

"STOP IT!" Everybody froze and looked over to Jeri, who had a torn look on her face. "Stop talking about destiny being chosen for you! You think this is your destiny, Ken? You see a vision and you automatically assume that's what you were meant for?"

"What do you know?" Ken asked with a sneer.

"I know a lot," said Jeri, walking past everybody and stopping once she was between MetalGreymon and her injured friends. "We've never met until now, but I know who you are Ken. I know about the pain you've been through, the depression you've been suffering from! You and I are alike!"

"We are not alike!" Ken snapped.

"YES, WE ARE!" Jeri shrieked, causing everybody to jump back a little. "SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK!"

"Holy smokes…" Gargomon whispered in surprise. "I don't think Jeri's ever been like this before…"

"No kidding," Takato breathed in surprise as well. Unknown to anyone, Elecmon was slowly crawling away, keeping his eyes on Jeri the entire time.

"I've lost family as well, and I know what it's like to feel abandoned by everybody," said Jeri. "I know what it's like, thinking that this was meant to be your destiny, but it's not! It's only like that because we didn't choose our destiny, somebody else did! Destiny is something we, and only we, choose, and I know you didn't choose this life Ken. Somebody else chose it for you…and you're suffering for it."

"And what did you choose?" Ken hissed, fists trembling like he was shaking dice. "What exactly did you 'choose' for your destiny?"

"I chose to not be lonely, and to help my friends however I can, with or without Leomon!" As Jeri spoke, the D-Arc in her pocket began glowing faintly. While Jeri was oblivious to it, Takato saw it and gasped in surprise.

'What…what is that…?'

"Ken…please…" Jeri begged, stretching her hand out, though Ken was too far away to accept it. "It's not too late…come back to us…shut down the Spires and release Agumon, this doesn't have to end like this! Don't you see how much you're hurting Davis and Ryo, your friends? They want to help you through your suffering, I want to help you! Please, Ken…stop this."

Behind his glasses, Ken's eyes softened at seeing Jeri's broken face and hearing the sincerity in her tone. It looked like he was contemplating, but his eyes hardened again.

"And what if I say no?" Jeri steeled herself and glared at Ken.

"Then I'll take whatever you've got," she said, getting gasps from the Digidestined and Tamers.

"…it's too late for me," Ken said in a mix between coldness and sadness before turning to his newest slave. "MetalGreymon, fire on that girl!"

"NO!" Takato screamed, scrambling to his feet. "JERI!"

"Kyubimon, get up!" Rika yelled to her partner.

"I'm still…sore…" Kyubimon groaned.

"TRIDENT ARM!" The metal arm was launched at Jeri, but the brown-haired girl stood her ground and glared at the incoming projectile…

…when a small sword suddenly flew into view and knocked the clawed hand away with surprising strength.

"What?!" Ken asked in surprise as the sword spun in the air before landing back in the hand of the one who threw it: Elecmon, who leaped off the building he was on and landed protectively in front of Jeri.

"Elecmon…?" she asked in disbelief.

"You again," Ken growled, recognizing the Digimon instantly. "Why must you always interfere when you have no partner of your own?!"

"I do have a partner," Elecmon said, eyes narrowed dangerously, "and you just made the biggest mistake of your life attacking her."

"Huh?" Jeri asked in confusion, the other Tamers and Digidestined in confusion as well.

"I…knew it…" Kyubimon muttered low enough for Rika to hear.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough…" the yellow fox answered as the light suddenly glowed brightly from Jeri's pocket, the girl finally seeing it.

"This is…!" Jeri gasped and pulled out her D-Ark, her face becoming one of great shock as she saw the screen was no longer filled with static.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"I…I feel funny…" Calumon moaned in Mimi's arms, the red mark on his forehead glowing brightly in tandem with Jeri's Digivice, before it enveloped Elecmon.

"That's…!" Henry gasped.

"The light of Digivolution!" TK said in realization as Elecmon rose off the ground while glowing bright yellow.

" **ELECMON…DIGIVOLVE TOOO…!** " Everybody gasped in shock as Elecmon's form began changing, but nobody was more shocked than Jeri was as she saw the transformation.

"It…can't be…!" Jeri whispered as she saw the figure turn into someone very familiar. But it couldn't have been…his data was loaded!

The light faded and when Elecmon landed, he was no longer a red Digimon with rabbit ears. He now stood at eight feet tall and had brown fur all over his body. His face was molded like a lion's face, and his blond hair was fashioned like a lion's mane. His legs were covered in black pants and attached to his waist was a sword like the one Elecmon had.

"Im…possible!" Takato breathed in shock.

"Is that…?!" Mimi yelped, recognizing the Digimon immediately. The lion Digimon threw his head back and roared his name loudly for everybody to hear.

" **…LEOMON!** "

"Holy…" Yolei gasped, unable to comprehend what she just saw.

"Elecmon…Digivolved!" Cody said in surprise.

"Into Leomon!" added Matt.

Ken could only stared in slack-jawed disbelief. The little red Digimon that had been annoying him for months on end was the mighty warrior Leomon?!

"How is this possible?!" the young boy yelled. "How could you have Digivolved?!"

"From the bond of a Digimon…and his Tamer," Leomon growled softly, turning his head to the girl behind him, who was still staring in shock.

"Leomon…" she whispered as the lion-man turned his head back to Ken.

"You…you think Digivolving to Champion level will do you any good?" Ken asked, attempting to regain his composure. "I have an Ultimate level at my command!"

"You foolish boy," growled Leomon. "Power has nothing to do with Digivolution…as I will show to you now!" Leomon pulled his arm back and gathered a massive amount of energy into his arm.

" **FIST…OF…THE BEAST KING!** " Leomon roared as he thrust his right arm forward, and a blast of energy shaped like a lion's head flew forward, colliding with MetalGreymon's chest and forcing him to slide back several feet.

"Impossible!" Ken yelled, surprised at the power a mere Champion level Digimon possessed. "How can you possibly be this strong? Don't tell me it's because of that loudmouth girl you have for a partner!"

"Hold your tongue!" Leomon roared, drawing his sword out and slashing it at Ken, who dodged the attack and lashed out with his whip. The weapon struck Leomon in the chest, but the lion man barely felt it as he swiped with his sword again, and the whip fell in two pieces on the ground.

"Stay away from me!" Ken screamed, falling on his behind and backing away from the imposing Digimon.

"If you were a true Emperor, then you would face me like one, instead of hiding behind your slaves and running from me, like the coward that you are," said Leomon.

"I'm no slave!" Stingmon flew down at Leomon, his purple spike extended. "SPIKING FINISH!"

"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" The lion's head flew out again, and Stingmon yelled out as he was sent flying away.

"MetalGreymon! Get me out of here!" The virus cyborg dinosaur growled as he picked up Ken in his organic arm and spread his wings, taking flight away from Leomon, who merely growled as he placed his sword back in his sheath.

"Coward…" he growled again before turning back to the small crowd before him, particularly one girl who hadn't moved or spoken since the fight.

"Jeri…" Leomon whispered, his growling voice now soft as he approached his Tamer, who was shaking her head in disbelief now.

"No…no, this can't be!" Jeri slapped herself across the face before pinching herself all over her arms. "This…this has to be a dream, a hallucination! Or MetalGreymon really did kill me, and I'm in the afterlife…"

"Jeri!" Leomon repeated more firmly and knelt down in front of his Tamer, taking her small hands in his massive ones. Jeri struggled a moment before going slack, and she looked into Leomon's warm blue eyes, which seemed so familiar.

(Play Digimon: 3 Primary Colors)

"Jeri…I assure you this is not a dream. You are still alive…and I am as well." Jeri blinked rapidly as she felt Leomon's fur with her fingers, before her hands went up to feel his face. The brown-haired girl suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes as the reality finally came to her.

"It…it is you!" she gasped before the dam finally broke. Jeri threw her arms around Leomon and sobbed quietly, the lion man Digimon returning the embrace as he rubbed Jeri's back soothingly.

"It is all right now Jeri…I'm here again…"

"No way…Leomon…" Takato walked over to the two, eyes wide like dinner plates.

"Takato," Leomon said, looking up to the brown-haired boy. "It is good to see you again." He turned to the other Tamers as he released Jeri from their hug. "It is good to see you all again."

"How is this possible?" Henry asked in disbelief. "Your data…"

"Was absorbed by Beelzemon, yes," said Leomon with a nod. "Even when my data was inside Impmon, I could see everything that had happened. Megidramon, Jeri's depression, the D-Reaper, Beelzemon's redemption and his Tamers…"

"You could actually see all of that inside Impmon?" Suzie asked with a look of slight disgust. "That's creepy."

"Perhaps, but I could see how much Impmon regretted his actions for what he did to us, and I attempted to help him by lending him some of my power…"

"The Fist of the Beast King attack Beelzemon used…" Jeri gasped, her mind reeling back to that day. "That was you?"

"It was a part of me," said Leomon. "After the Digimon returned to the Digital World, Impmon set off alone to find his own way to reunite with Ai and Mako. But during his travels, he ended up going through an interdimensional portal…"

"…that brought him to this Digital World," said Ryo. "But what does this have to do with you?"

"Because when Impmon went through the portal, my data was pulled from his body and I was reborn," Leomon answered. "However…when I woke up, I had amnesia. I couldn't remember any of you, only somebody important to me."

"I searched for years, and during my travels, I continued the ways of the Leomon, fighting for our own justice and protecting the innocent. And then I went to File Island to help free it from the control of Devimon…and that, my friends, was when I met seven young children with Digimon partners." Leomon's eyes darted over to Tai, Matt, Sora, TK, and Mimi. All of them except Tai, who stood off to the side dejectedly, gasped in shock.

"You mean…you're the same Leomon we met?!" TK said, causing gasps of surprise to went through the Tamers as well.

"Yes," Leomon said with a nod.

"Wait, I'm confused here," said Yolei.

"As am I," said Cody. "Who is this guy?"

"Leomon was a friend of ours who helped us during our first adventures on File Island," said TK. "He later helped us battle the Dark Masters…"

"…and he died," Mimi said sadly, remembering when they battled MetalEtemon. "I'm so sorry Leomon. If I hadn't gotten in the way when you fought MetalEtemon, you wouldn't have…"

"Mimi…" Palmon said sympathetically, wrapping her vines around her partner's leg.

"It is all right Mimi," Leomon went over and wrapped a massive arm around Mimi in a hug. "I was glad to lay my life on the line again for my friends. Besides, had I not died, I would not have regained my memories of Jeri and the Tamers when I was reborn." The lion warrior then turned back to the Tamers. "I sincerely apologize for the masquerade I put around you, especially you Jeri, but I felt it would be best to surprise the Digimon Emperor when he was least expecting it."

"It's all right Leomon, I forgive you." Jeri ran over and hugged Leomon around the waist.

"Yeah. Besides, that Emperor's pants became a shade darker when he saw you!" Gargomon said with a laugh.

"Did you know about this, Kyubimon?" Rika asked her partner.

"I suspected as much when I saw his mannerisms as well as the way he looked at Jeri and talked about her, yes," said the yellow fox. "But I decided to stay quiet for his sake…and I wasn't entirely sure myself."

"Leomon, I have to ask…" said Henry. "What happened to Impmon? You said your data was separated from his body."

"We both crashed in a forest and blacked out," Leomon said, remembering what had happened that day. "When I woke up, I saw Impmon lying in pain on the ground. As I had amnesia, I didn't recognize him, but I knew he needed help. I took care of him and we traveled together for a while, as Impmon also had amnesia, the only thing he remembered being somebody important to him."

"Ai and Mako," Jeri said, getting a nod from Leomon.

"After a few weeks, we went our separate ways. I never saw him again after that."

"Impmon…" Rika said worriedly, looking out in the distance. Where could he possibly be?

"As good as it is that Jeri has her partner back," Cody got back to the more important matter, "we now have to worry about Ken having Agumon again, this time as MetalGreymon."

"Now what do we do?" Yolei asked in worry.

"We follow them," said Matt. "We came here today to free Agumon, and that's what we're going to do!"

"But how?" asked Davis, not keen on fighting Agumon again. Before Matt could answer, Tai's voice cut through the group.

"What do I do…what do I do?" the bushy-haired boy repeated to himself. He had been so close to getting Agumon back again, but now he was a brainwashed slave again. It was just too much. Had he kept Agumon back from charging towards Ken.

"Tai…" Matt said softly as he walked up to his best friend. Tai turned around, only to be knocked flat on his back when Matt swung his right arm around and punched Tai in the face.

"What the hell, Matt?!" Davis yelled in shock, running over to the bearer of Friendship. "This may be the worst day yet in Tai's life, and you think punching him will make things better?!"

"Easy, Davis!" Gabumon said with a light chuckle. "They do this all the time!"

"Wha…what?" Davis asked in confused. He was told that Tai and Matt were best friends, and Matt's Crest was Friendship…and this was how they showed their friendship to each other? By beating each other up?! Fighting each other wasn't what friends did!

"Davis," Ryo placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, as if he sensed his distress. "Let Matt handle this."

Davis quieted down and watched as Tai took hold of Matt's hand and was pulled back up to his feet, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Thanks Matt," Tai said, his cocky smile back on his face. "I guess I needed some sense knocked into me."

"You should consider yourself lucky it was him," Sora said with a smirk and narrowed eyes. "I would have given you my wake-up slap."

Davis was even more confused. "What is…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"I'm sorry guys," Tai said to the group. "I guess I screwed up today, but no more. If we want to save Agumon, then we can't hesitate anymore! The next time we fight him, don't hold back."

"Wait, are you sure about this?!" Davis asked in shock. "Tai, that's your partner! Your best friend! And you want us to…to kill him if it's necessary?!" The burgundy-haired boy sounded appalled at what his mentor was saying.

"It's what he would want," Matt said, his smile replaced with a serious look.

"He is right," agreed Leomon. "Even if Agumon is our friend, we cannot let that get in the way of our mission!"

"But…are you sure we can do this?" asked Cody, hesitant about killing a Digimon.

"We can, and we will," Rika said firmly, looking at the young boy as well as Yolei. "So I suggest you two wimps get in shape and do what needs to be done!"

"Excuse me, did you just call me a wimp?!" Yolei yelled angrily, getting up in Rika's face.

"Back off, Miyako," Rika said, using the lavender-haired girl's real name. "I did a number on Ken Ichijouji today. Imagine what I could do to you and the stiff."

"Do not ever call me a stiff," Cody growled lowly, irritated slightly at Rika insulting him again.

"All right, let's not fight," Takato said, playing peacemaker. "We have to do this if we want to save Agumon."

"He's right!" Gatomon stepped up and looked over to the other Digimon. "Listen up, everybody! If you care about Agumon, then the next time we fight him, don't hesitate for even a second!"

"Right!" said the Digimon.

"So, we go down that path," Mimi looked down at the railroad track, leading to where MetalGreymon and Stingmon flew off.

"Yes," said Henry. "In fact, there's something there that will really help us out the next time we fight Ken…another Digimental."

"You're kidding!" Kari said in a gasp. "There's another Digimental around here?"

"Well, I'm not all that surprised," said Mimi. "After all, shouldn't there be Digimentals with the Crests of Friendship, Reliability and Sincerity on them?"

"I…I guess so," Cody said in confusion. "We haven't really found them yet…"

"Because the time hasn't come yet to find them," said Ryo. "But the time has come for the next Digimental to be found."

"So where is it?" asked Matt.

"You'll know when you see it," Rika said with a little smirk.

"Okay, so how do you suppose we go after MetalGreymon without having our Digimon exert any more energy?" asked Yolei. Leomon eyed the downed Locomon, and then some train cars that had no train attached to them.

"Leave it to me," said the lion man Digimon. "Gargomon, Guilmon, I require your assistance."

"No problem!" Gargomon and Guilmon said, realizing what Leomon had in mind. Combining their strength together, the three Digimon pushed Locomon onto the train tracks and attached him to the train car, which was big enough to carry everybody. Once Locomon was attached to the train car, Leomon and Gargomon dropped down and reverted to their Rookie levels.

"Well, all aboard!" Terriermon said. The Digidestined and Tamers climbed into the car, and with some fire from Guilmon's Pyro Sphere, Locomon was moving down the track to where the Tamers said the newest Digimental was.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"Elecmon…" Jeri asked her partner quietly. "Is it true…that you saw everything when you were in Impmon's body?"

"Yes," Elecmon nodded sadly. "It saddened me, what became of you. Had I been there, I could have done something to prevent the D-Reaper from using you like that. But…it pleased me to see Impmon realize the error of his ways, and it made me happy when he tried to save you as a display of his redemption."

"So…do you…forgive him?" Jeri asked hesitantly.

"I already did," said Elecmon. "I do hope we can find him again. It would definitely make Ai and Mako happy again…"

"I know it will," Jeri said, hugging Elecmon close to her, a small tear of joy running down her cheek.

"Guys, I'm sorry about not coming earlier," Yolei said to her friends. "I had a lot on my mind…"

"It's all right," Cody said with a warm smile. "I knew you'd come eventually."

"And it's a good thing she stayed behind," said Matt. "Otherwise, Mimi and I wouldn't have made it and you'd guys be sitting ducks."

"Yeah, you guys were definitely in a sticky situation," observed Mimi, getting nods of agreement from everybody.

Davis sat in silence as he watched the other Digidestined talk and laugh, his head swimming with frustrating questions that seemed to have little to no answers. Even after Matt punched him in the face, Tai still called him a friend. Previously, Tai had been in shock over fighting Agumon, but now he was telling them to fight Agumon like he was an evil Digimon. And Ryo kept saying that fighting Ken was the only way to save him from Millenniummon's control.

From what Davis knew, friendship wasn't about fighting your friends or even killing them, yet they seemed to do it all the time and talked about it like it was nothing. He couldn't wonder what would happen when the time came to face MetalGreymon again.

"Davis, what's wrong?" Veemon asked, seeing the pained look on his face.

"I…I don't know, Veemon," said Davis. "I don't know about this."

"Davis…there may be no other way," Veemon said gravelly before walking away to sit with Gatomon.

'You too, Veemon?' Davis thought in near-despair. Ryo frowned sadly at seeing his friend's pained look.

'I know you'll be able to do what needs to be done Davis,' he thought as Locomon chugged down the tracks. 'For all of our friends.'

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 14

 **I'm going to say this right now: Rika Nonaka is an absolute badass.**

 **Leomon is back, and Jeri is no longer sitting on the sidelines. Now Impmon is the only one left to find. Where could he possibly be, and how will he recognize Ai and Mako if he has amnesia?**

 **And things seem to have gone worse. Leomon may be back, and the Tamers' partners may be immune to the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals, but that didn't stop Ken from getting Agumon back and succeeding in Digivolving him to MetalGreymon. But a new Digimental may turn the tide.**

 **It seems like Davis is having second thoughts about the meaning of friendship. Can he truly bring himself to fight Ken, and kill MetalGreymon if it comes down to it? Or will he refuse to hurt his friends in any way? And Renamon has left Wormmon with something to think about. Can Wormmon bring himself to oppose his own partner?**

 **So what did you think of Rika vs Ken, as well as Leomon's return battle and reunion with Jeri? And what has become of Impmon?**

 **Next time on Digimon Adventure Tamers: Raidramon, the Blue Thunder!**


	15. Chapter 15: Raidramon, The Blue Thunder!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Quick note: There's another way you can find the music that you can play as you read the chapters. There's a channel on Youtube called OSTDigimon that has the soundtracks of all of the seasons of Digimon. Go to the channel and type in the music you're looking for in the channel's search-bar, and you'll be able to find the music earlier.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers Aban)

Sora, Jeri and Rika braved a daring mission into the Digimon Emperor's base with help from an Elecmon, and managed to rescue Agumon. However, the mission ended in failure when the Emperor revealed his newest device, the Dark Spiral, and used it on Agumon, who became MetalGreymon. Jeri received a shock when Elecmon was revealed to be her reborn partner, Leomon. Now the Digidestined and Tamers set out to find a new Digimental capable of freeing MetalGreymon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Raidramon, The Blue Thunder!

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

"So, why did you want to come here to the Daikanransha, Kazu?"

"Well, I wanted to do a little sight-seeing today since we're not going to the Digital World. And since we're watching Ai and Mako, and Ai and Mako have never seen much of Odaiba back in our dimension, I figured we could do two birds with one stone."

Kazu and Kenta sat in a Ferris wheel in Odaiba, watching the people going about their business grow smaller in their sights. The rain had subsided shortly after school ended, and the two boys, who had the twins with them, decided to go for a ride on the Daikanransha so they could entertain the twins. Ai and Mako were a little upset about not being able to go to the Digital World today so they could continue finding Impmon, but their faces lit up with excitement when the older boys offered them a Ferris wheel ride. Kokuwamon wore a black sweatshirt and wool hat to hide himself from the humans while Betamon rode in Kenta's backpack so they could enjoy the ride as well.

"Wow!" Ai breathed in astonishment. "Everything looks so small from up here!"

"Ever been on a Ferris wheel before?" asked Betamon.

"Yes, but not one this big," Mako answered for his sister, looking out the window as well as the car they were in reached the very top and stopped so people down below could board the other cars that hadn't been filled yet. "I can see all of Odaiba from here!"

"Yeah, there's the Dai-roku Daiba!" Kazu pointed to a small island in the distance. "That's where Myotismon stayed during his attack in the Human World!"

"And the Rainbow Bridge there," Kenta pointed to the tall bridge near the island, "crumbled to pieces during Zudomon's first battle. It looks like they managed to rebuild it."

"And Tokyo Tower as well," Ai looked in the distance to see a tall red tower. "Didn't that get damaged as well?"

"Yeah, when the Digidestined fought SkullMeramon," said Kazu, who looked over to see a tall building with a massive sphere in the center. "And The Fuji TV Station…that's where the Digidestined fought their greatest enemy as Myotismon and VenomMyotismon…"

"…and that's where they lost one of their Digimon friends," said Kokuwamon. "Wizardmon. That was his name, right?"

"Yeah," Kenta sighed sadly. "And now he's stuck there forever as a ghost…"

"But why did Wizardmon become a ghost?" asked Ai, remembering the second season. "Don't Digimon get reborn in this dimension?"

"Only if they're in the Digital World," Kazu explained to the twins in a way he could explain. "Since the Digital World here has Primary Village, their data can get reconfigured there and they can be reborn. But since the Human World isn't made from data like the Digital World…they can't be reborn."

"That's terrible…" Mako said sadly, realizing the sadness of the situation.

"Except for Myotismon," Kenta said sourly. "Do you think he's still alive and possessing Oikawa in this dimension as well, Kazu?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"Well…I can't really be sure," Kazu said honestly. "After all, this is an alternate dimension, so everything could be different…but we can't let our guard down just in case." The visor-wearing hat boy's expression turned serious. "If there are some things here similar to the show, then we have to be prepared for the worst. We can't afford to slip up this time…"

"Wow, when did you get so serious Kazu?" Kenta asked his friend in surprise, receiving a dark look in response, and the dark-haired boy suddenly remembered.

"Oh…right, sorry…"

"Not your fault," Kazu sighed, thinking back to that day. "I try to forget as well, but I can't. That incident opened my eyes and made me realize that if I wanted to be a Tamer, then I can't be so goofy all the time and take things lightly. I know I've been acting like a total fanboy since we got here, but, you know…"

"Yeah, I've been a little excited as well to meet the Digidestined," Kenta laughed. "And I'm sure Ai and Mako have been excited as well."

"Yeah, we have," both twins said with a nod.

"But today really made a turn for things for the Digidestined," said Kazu. "Ken making Agumon become MetalGreymon, Davis realizing the importance of friendship, Raidramon appearing…I felt like it began to get serious after that."

"That's another reason I wanted to come here today on the Daikanransha," he continued. "I wanted to get the whole sight-seeing of Odaiba and the locations of the Digidestineds' battles from Season 1 out of the way before it got really serious."

"It already 'got really serious' after yesterday," Kokuwamon commented, sitting back and placing his arms behind his head like Kazu.

"Yeah, why do you think I wanted to do this today?" asked Kazu as the Ferris wheel car they were in came back down so they could get out.

"So what can we do now?" asked Mako.

"Well, we could go to Aqua City," Kenta suggested before a loud beeping sounded from Ai's pocket. The girl reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the white and purple D-Ark she shared with Mako, the device beeping like crazy.

"What…what's going on?" Mako asked in confusion, Ai pressing a button on the D-Ark and the holographic screen popped up, the red arrow spinning around like a top.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)

"That…that's the detection feature on our D-Arks!" Kazu said in surprise. "It reacts every time a partner Digimon is around!"

"Partner Digimon?!" gasped Ai. "Does that mean it's detecting Impmon?" All was quiet for a moment before the words DIGIMON DETECTED IN AREA flashed on the screen.

"Holy smokes!" yelled Mako. "Impmon's in Odaiba?!"

"Wait, he was here the entire time under our noses?!" Kenta yelled in surprise. "Why haven't we seen him?!"

"He's probably in a place of Odaiba we haven't been to yet," said Kazu.

"Then we have to find him!" insisted Mako. "Please!" Kazu nodded, knowing this was important to Mako and his twin sister.

"Let's go! He's probably in Aqua City!" Ai, Mako, Kenta and Kokuwamon nodded, breaking into a run with Kazu for the shopping district, the twins leading the way with their D-Ark in Mako's hand, the arrow still spinning like crazy.

'Hold on Impmon, we're coming!' both twins thought to themselves as they ran towards Aqua City.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Gekitotsu!)

"GIGA DESTROYER!" MetalGreymon's twin missiles flew forward as they hit the ground and exploded, causing a number of Digimon to scatter. They were unable to get far as a Control Spire appeared from out of the ground and rained down Dark Rings on them.

"Excellent work, MetalGreymon!" Ken laughed from his place on MetalGreymon's shoulder. In the last half-hour, five areas had fallen under his control, and he had gained a number of new minions. It wouldn't be long before he had control over the entire Digital World, and peace and order was brought to it. And it was thanks to his new Dark Spiral.

"Wormmon," he spoke to his partner through a communicator. The green caterpillar was back in the base, overseeing the creation of more Dark Spirals. "See what you can do about making the Control Spires appear faster. I want less casualties."

"I'll see what I can do," Wormmon's voice rang through the communicator.

"And what about the Dark Spirals?"

"They're in mass production," Wormmon said in a less than enthusiastic tone, "and I've sent some out in the Digital World. Already, four Ultimate level Digimon have joined your ranks."

"Excellent!" Ken said with a big smile. "Send them to me right away."

"They'll be here in a half-hour," replied Wormmon. As Ken spoke to his partner, MetalGreymon veered to the right, snorting and sniffing the air before growling lowly. Curious at what the cyborg dinosaur was growling at, Ken looked in MetalGreymon's direction and saw a Locomon chugging its way through the empty wasteland on tracks. A single car was attached to it, and when Ken zoomed in with a pair of binoculars, he smirked when he saw who was in the car.

"Wormmon, you said the new Ultimate level Digimon will arrive in a half-hour," he said into the communicator, "but what about the Flymon?"

"They're not far from you."

"Good," said Ken. "Send them to me, and then come here on an Airdramon."

* * *

"Are you sure the Digimental is in this area?" asked Hawkmon. "There's usually not much here in the Arid Express."

"I am sure," Henry said with a nod. "It's straight ahead…and MetalGreymon won't be far behind."

"Hopefully, we find the Digimental first before we find Ken and MetalGreymon," Mimi said, cradling Palmon in her arms. The plant Digimon was still injured from her last fight with MetalGreymon, where she received a full blast of flames from the Virus Digimon.

"So what did you guys mean before when you said we would know where the next Digimental was when we saw it?" Tai asked curiously.

"Any minute now…" Ryo said, staring intently out the window. Before long, it came in view.

"Stop!" Locomon screeched his wheels and stopped moving at Ryo's command, and the Legendary Tamer jumped out of the car with Monodramon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"Follow us," said Monodramon. The rest of the group followed out of the car and walked up to a nearby canyon wall, stopping near the wall when they saw a symbol familiar to most of the group present, especially Matt.

"The Crest of Friendship!" gasped the blond-haired boy. "So that means…"

"Yes," Takato looked down in a hole underneath the carved symbol. "The next Digimental is the Digimental of Friendship."

Everybody gathered around the hole and saw a small, black object shaped like a sandal. Blue triangles decorated the sides like fangs, and a long, bent yellow spike jutted out of the top.

"So that's it?" asked TK, walking down in the hole. "Who exactly does this go to, anyway? We already each have a Digimental." The blond-haired boy gestured to Yolei, Cody, Davis and Kari.

"Yes, but Davis, Yolei and Cody each have the ability to carry two Digimentals," said Renamon.

"So is this mine?" Yolei walked down in the hole and bent down, gripping the Digimental and pulled it, but the Digimental remained in place. "Guess not…"

"Let me try." Cody walked down the hole and tried to pick up the object, but it still didn't budge at all. "It's not mine either, which means…" Everybody looked at Davis, who had a look of confusion and shock.

"Wait…me?"

"Yes, Davis," Ryo wrapped an arm around Davis's shoulder and led him to the hole. "Quite frankly, I can't think of anyone more worthy of the Digimental than you." Davis dropped to his knees and stared at the black object, but his eyes were more focused on the small blue symbol. The Crest of Friendship. Friendship…

'Me?' Davis thought, staring long and hard at the Digimental.

"Come on Davis, the Digimental's not going to move itself!" Yolei barked impatiently.

"Easy Yolei," said Rika. "I think he's doubting himself…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"What is Friendship?" Davis asked softly, but it was still loud enough for everybody to hear. "I thought I knew it…but now I don't know if I do…"

"Davis, what's wrong?" Kari asked her boyfriend in worry. Davis breathed deeply, hands clenching tightly as the memories came back to him: Ken being revealed as the Digimon Emperor, Agumon being forced to Digivolve, and the people he considered his friends talking about fighting Ken and killing Agumon like it meant nothing to them.

"I can't do this," Davis finally said, trembling slightly. "I can't do this!"

"You can Davis," Matt said in a reassuring tone. "You just have to believe in your friends."

"Oh, you mean the friends that are saying we should kill Agumon?!" Davis yelled suddenly, standing up and glaring at everybody. "Yeah, you're all real friends!"

"Davis, what's wrong?" Tai asked in concern.

"What, you don't know, or did you not hear me the first time?!" Davis yelled to his mentor before glaring at everybody. "You want to know what's wrong with me, I'll let you know! What's wrong is my best friend from the Digital World has been brainwashed into becoming a dictator, and he won't listen to reason! Tai's partner is being controlled, and you're talking of fighting and killing him like he's just some evil Digimon! You call yourselves friends, yet you fight with those you consider friends! They're supposed to be there for each other!"

"Is this what friendship is about?!" Davis yelled, his eyes beginning to water slightly.

"Davis, there's no other choice," said TK. "We have to do this!"

"You mean killing a friend?!" yelled Davis. "There has to be another way to break the Spiral off! I won't put Tai through the pain of losing his partner!" The burgundy-haired boy turned and looked at said boy. "Are you okay with this, Tai?!"

"…Yes," Tai said, nodding with a frown. Davis felt like somebody had just punched him in the gut before ripping his heart out.

"I can't believe this…" Davis muttered. All was quiet before he yelled loudly. "I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS!" Davis then ran off from the others, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

"What…was that about?" Armadillomon asked in disbelief.

"Davis is taking this a lot harder than most of us," said Ryo. "He doesn't want to bring himself to fight Ken and Agumon since they're his friends."

"Davis always believes friends should never fight each other, and they should always be there for each other," continued Monodramon, "but I don't think he gets the full picture yet."

"I didn't either," Matt said with a sad frown. "But I managed to figure it out in the end."

"Well, I think Goggle-head 2 needs some help understanding," said Rika, following after Davis, who had stopped after running a considerable distance from the group. "Come on, Renamon." The kitsune nodded and followed after her partner.

"Wait for me!" Matt hurried after the younger girl with Gabumon in tow, Ryo and Monodramon close by with Tai. Kari made to follow after them, but Sora stopped her from moving by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you want to help him Kari, but maybe we should let them do this."

"Okay…" Kari said, looking over to where her boyfriend was with a sad look on her face.

* * *

"Davis…what's wrong?" Veemon asked, kneeling down next to his partner. Davis hit the ground with his fists in anger.

"I'm sorry Veemon, but I'm not sure if I can do this anymore," he said as his eyes watered. "I've tried to stay strong and do this for everybody's sakes, but it all just crashed down on me after Agumon was taken again. How can I fight Ken and Agumon without destroying anymore friendships?!"

"You're not." Davis stiffened and he turned around to see Matt walking towards him with Tai, Rika and Ryo in tow.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled. "I don't want any company right now."

"But what about me?" Veemon asked sadly. "Do you not want me around?" Davis was unable to answer, but Rika spoke up next.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"You're lying. Nobody wants to be alone." The red-haired girl bent down to make eye contact with Davis, her usually icy eyes showing warmth and compassion. "I usually act like I don't want anything to do with most of the others, but deep down, they're my friends, even Kazu and Kenta, and I wouldn't want to see them hurt at all."

"Davis, you're not alone," said Tai. "You have all of us. We're your friends."

"Then why aren't we acting like friends?" asked Davis. "We shouldn't be fighting each other! That's not what friendship is about! I never want to fight friends, and I don't want to fight Ken and Agumon…but I want them back with us…"

"It's not about want Davis, it's about need," said Ryo. "Agumon and Ken may not be themselves, but they still are themselves deep down, and they need us to do this."

"But…I don't understand," said Davis.

"Friendship can never really be understood," Matt clapped a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I may have the Crest of Friendship, but when I first got it four years ago, I never really understood friendship. I wanted to be alone, and I often got into fights with the other Digidestined, especially Tai."

"But because of our fights, we became best friends," Tai said with a light smile.

"That's how I actually became friends with Takato and Henry," Rika said, remembering the early days she spent with those who she would consider her closest friends. "When I first got Renamon as my partner, I believed Digimon were only all about fighting, and I often challenged Takato and Henry to fights, but they refused more than once since they said Digimon shouldn't be fighting all the time. I didn't understand it as first, since I had little to no friends when my parents divorced. But after a while, I understood what that meant and they later became my best friends, and I truly accepted Renamon."

If Davis wasn't confused before, he was definitely confused now. Tai and Matt used to fight, and they became best friends because of it. And Rika became friends with Takato and Henry by attacking them and fighting them.

"I…I still don't understand."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"Davis, being friends isn't just about being buddy-buddy," said Ryo. "Being friends means being there when they're at their highest and lowest. Didn't you tell me the other day that Kari was there for you when you were feeling depressed after your first experiences in the Digital World?"

"Yes…because…she was my friend," answered Davis.

"And she did what friends do," said Rika. "Sometimes, you have to stop them from doing what you know is wrong, while keeping them safe from what you know is wrong."

"Sometimes we did stupid things," said Matt, thinking back to a bad day in his life. "I did a majorly stupid thing by attacking Tai and thinking I could be stronger from it, and I had some sense knocked into me. I realized friendship is about doing what needs to be done, and friendship is what makes us stronger. Agumon needs us to do this."

"And Ken needs us, deep down," said Ryo. "He needs you Davis."

"But…but fighting Ken…killing Agumon…doesn't that just destroy your friendship?"

"No, it doesn't," said Rika. "Agumon would rather die than allow himself to be a slave for one second more. He would want us, his friends, to do the right thing, hard as it may be."

"It may damage friendship, but it heals in time," said Gabumon. "You need to think about what they want."

"That's why we need to fight Ken and Agumon," said Veemon. "If we fight them, then we can free them from their suffering. And I'm prepared for whatever the consequences may be. I know it, Tai knows it, and everybody else knows it."

"But the problem is you don't know it yet," said Renamon. "You have to understand."

Davis remained quiet as he let them talk, and the words slowly seeped into his head. As he kneeled in silence, he realized suddenly that they were right. He thought he would be driving his friends away by hurting them with either verbal or physical jabs, but his indecision only served to drive them away, which he was trying to prevent. By refusing to fight Ken, he was allowing Ken to continue fall into darkness. And by holding back against Agumon, he was only allowing Agumon to continue being a slave.

Friendship meant doing what you could do for your friends, and Davis realized if he was in Ken's position or Agumon's, the others would do it for him.

"Damn it…" Davis sniffled, his eyes watering. "I'm so pathetic!"

"We all are," Matt said with a sad smile. "But I know you can get through this Davis. You don't have to do this alone."

"He's right," said Ryo. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you and Ken the past three years Davis, but I promise you I will be from now on. And I promise I'll help you get back Ken and Agumon."

"So will I!" said Veemon. "Will you help us?"

"We need you Davis," said Tai. "We need the second leader." Davis took a deep breath and wiped his eyes dry before offering Matt's hand to be pulled back up.

"Thanks guys…I'm not sure if I fully understand it yet, but I know what has to be done," Davis steeled himself as he spoke. "I'll fight…and even if it means killing Agumon, we'll win. Just…don't hate me if I do, Tai."

"I won't," Tai said with a sad smile. "It's what Agumon would want."

"Well, if this moment of angst is over, let's get that Digimental before Ken gets the drop on us," Rika said, heading back to the group. Tai and Ryo followed behind with Matt and Davis taking up the rear.

"If it's all the same with you Davis," Matt smiled lightly as he slung an arm around Davis's shoulders, "I think there are times when I'm still learning about friendship."

"Maybe you can both get some pointers from each other," Gabumon chuckled, making Veemon, Davis and Matt chuckle as well.

* * *

When the small group made it back to their friends, Davis stepped forward and spoke up.

"I'm sorry everybody. I've been so shaken up over what's become of Ken and Agumon, I thought by not wanting to fight them it wouldn't make things worse, but it did. But I'm done hesitating. I'm done underestimating friendship. For the sake of everybody, I'll fight to my best…and we'll get our friends back no matter what!"

"That's the spirit, Davis!" Takato said happily as Kari went over and kissed Davis's cheek, making the bearer of Miracles blush slightly.

"All right Davis, you know what to do now," Matt gestured to the black Digimental. Nodding to the older blond-haired boy, Davis went back down into the hole and bent down in front of the Digimental.

'You can do this, Davis,' he thought to himself. 'You can do this. For Tai, Kari, Agumon, Veemon, Matt, Ken, Ryo and everybody else! For your friends! You're not alone!'

Davis's hands reached for the Digimental, but before he could lift it, a loud screeching noise filled the air, forcing everybody to cover their ears with their hands.

"What's that horrible noise?!"

"I don't know, but it sounds like somebody's blaring an air horn in front of me!" moaned Terriermon.

"Mine too!" said Lopmon.

"Well, your ears are bigger than ours!" Suzie screamed through the noise. "Where is that noise coming from?!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

Takato looked up and saw a dozen black shapes drop down from the sky. The figures were large Digimon that looked like black and yellow wasps, giant red stingers on their thoraxes, and even more giant red wings on their backs, a loud screeching noise being created from their wings.

"Those are Flymon!" yelled the brown-haired boy.

"They don't look like flies, they look like giant wasps!" Yolei yelled through the noise. Jeri pulled out her Digivice and scanned the giant bug Digimon flying overhead.

"Flymon. Champion level Insect Digimon, Virus type. They fly at extremely high speeds with their enormous wings, which can generate an ear-splitting screech called Howling Noise. Their special attack is Deadly Sting, where they shoot poisonous stingers from their thoraxes. If you get hit by one, your body becomes paralyzed and turns violet before you die!"

"DEADLY STING!" The red stingers flew from the thoraxes and at the Digidestined and Tamers, forcing them to scatter and forcing Davis to move away from the Digimental of Friendship.

"Biyomon, get up there!" Sora pulled out her Digivice.

"On it!" Biyomon flew up at the Flymon while she glowed brightly with Sora's Digivice.

"BIYOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BIRDRAMON!"

"Everybody, back her up!" Takato said to the other Tamers. Jeri, Rika, Henry, Ryo and Suzie nodded and pulled out their D-Arks, swiping the Digivolution cards through the slots.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GROWLMON!"

"ELECMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LEOMON!"

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!"

"TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARGOMON!"

"MONODRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STRIKEDRAMON!"

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!"

"Now it's our turn!" Yolei said to Kari, Cody and TK before turning to the leader of her team. "Davis, throw me your D-Terminal! I want to try the Digimental of Courage!"

"Sure, catch!" Davis tossed his D-Terminal to Yolei, who caught it in her hands.

"Yolei, give me yours," Kari stretched her hand out. Yolei nodded it and handed it over to the brown-haired girl.

"Cody, take mine," TK tossed his D-Terminal to the young boy. "I'm going to Digivolve Patamon normally."

"All right, TK," Cody nodded, taking hold of the D-Terminal.

"Let's do this!" said Yolei, raising her D-3 in the air with Kari, Cody and TK.

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ALLOMON!"

"GATOMON ARMOR-DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SWANMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…SHEEPMON!"

"PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEMON!"

Angemon stood in place where Patamon originally was, and where Hawkmon, Gatomon and Armadiilomon stood were respectively, a Greymon-sized blue dinosaur with red stripes on his body and red hair and feathers on his head, a beautiful swan-like Digimon with silver and grey feathers and a sheep-like Digimon with pink wool, red horns and what appeared to be a missile launcher on his back.

"Hawkmon became a dinosaur?!" Yolei gasped in surprise.

"That's Allomon, a very powerful Armor Digimon," Rika answered, recognizing the Digimon as one of the many Digimon Renamon fought back home. The red-haired girl pulled out her D-Ark and scanned the other two Digimon.

"Swanmon. Armor level Bird Digimon, Vaccine type. Her special attack is Down Tornado, where she tears her enemies apart with a cold wind and feathers."

"Sheepmon. Mammal Vaccine Digimon, Armor level. His special attack, Wool Grenade, is said to lull his enemies to sleep."

"DEADLY STING!" The Flymon began firing their stingers again, but the Digimon were instantly in action, Angemon and Swanmon flying up to help Birdramon.

"DIGI-MODIFY! AERO WING ACTIVATE!" Takato swiped a card through his D-Ark, and Growlmon grew wings similar to Airdramon's, allowing to him to help the flying Digimon.

"DINO BURST!" Allomon breathed in a mass amount of air before releasing it as a fiery blast that incinerated the stingers coming for the Digidestined, but the Flymon were able to reproduce the stingers in seconds, firing them in rapid-fire succession.

"WOOL GRENADE!" Sheepmon's missile launcher released its missiles, destroying two more stingers heading for Cody. Gargomon and Kyubimon fired their Gargo Pellets and Fox Tail Inferno attacks at the stingers while Leomon released his Fist of the Beast King attack, and Suzie and Ryo used Digimon cards to give Turuiemon and Strikedramon long-range attacks to destroy the stingers.

"Angemon, Swanmon, cover us!" Growlmon said as he flew closer to the Flymon with Birdramon next to him.

"POISON POWDER!" Two of the Flymon closest to the flying Digimon released a yellow powder from their wings, intent on paralyzing their opponents, but Angemon and Swanmon were prepared.

"GOD TYPHOON!"

"DOWN TORNADO!"

A tornado of golden winds was released by Angemon's spinning staff and combined with Swanmon's attack, a swirl of winds and feathers. The joint attack hit the powder and sent it flying back at the Flymon. The insect Digimon screeched as they were hit by their own attacks and were instantly paralyzed. Unable to stay airborne, six of the Flymon fell to the ground while the other six continued for Birdramon, but the fiery bird was much more agile and dodged the giant bugs before spreading her wings and releasing her Meteor Wing attack, the fireballs pelting the Flymon and knocking them out of the sky and breaking their Dark Rings.

"PLASMA BLADE!" Growlmon slashed at the other airborne Flymon with his glowing arm spikes, shattering their Dark Rings as well as taking a chunk out of their arms. One sole Flymon attempted to stab Growlmon from behind, but Angemon managed moved fast for the Flymon.

"HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!" A golden light flew from Angemon's fist and collided with Flymon, breaking his Dark Ring and knocking him out cold.

On the ground below, the remaining Flymon were recovering from their paralysis, but the recovery did not come fast enough, allowing Turuiemon and Strikedramon to move in with Allomon, destroying the remaining Dark Rings.

"All right!" Yolei cheered for her partner, but the relief didn't last long as a loud roar shook the area around the Digidestined and Tamers. A familiar shape landed on the ground in front of everybody, crushing the Flymon underneath and turning them to data. When the dust faded, MetalGreymon was revealed, standing over everybody with Ken on his shoulder and Stingmon flying above.

"I see you managed to survive the Flymon," the violet-haired boy stated the obvious to his enemies down below. "As expected."

"Give up now, Ken!" Davis called from below. "You don't stand a chance against all of us!"

"Oh, I know that," Ken said with a smirk. "But who said MetalGreymon and Stingmon were the only Digimon I brought with me? You see, I've been able to create more Dark Spirals, and allow me to show you the results!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

Ken raised his whip and snapped it in the air, and a loud screeching noise filled the sky, but it wasn't as loud as the Flymon's wings. A giant gray stag beetle looking similar to Kuwagamon flew out of the sky, its mandibles clicking together.

"Is that Kuwagamon?!" yelled Tai.

"Worse, that's Kuwagamon's Ultimate level, Okuwamon!" answered Henry, noticing a spiral of black around Okuwamon's leg. "And he's got a Dark Spiral!"

"He's not the only one!" Ken snapped his whip again and the ground shook like crazy before it burst apart under Locomon, a massive metal claw bursting out and crushing Locomon to data. Another similar claw burst from the ground and a giant brown and orange dragon with purple tattered wings and a metal helmet. The dragon roared loudly, spreading his wings and taking flight.

"Megadramon!" gasped Strikedramon. Like Okuwamon, Megadramon also possessed a Dark Spiral attached to his left arm.

Ken's whip snapped again and a nearby hill was blasted to pebbles, the dust clearing to reveal a green and gray Triceratops with a Dark Spiral on its right foreleg.

"Triceramon," Suzie read from her D-Ark. "A Ceratopsian Data Digimon, Ultimate level. His shell is said to be hardest of any organic Digimon alive! His special attack is a charging maneuver called Tri-Horn Attack!"

"I bet I could crack it open," Growlmon said in rumble before the sound of the whip snapping was heard and a Meramon leapt off a nearby cliff and landed near MetalGreymon, but like MetalGreymon's skin, this Meramon's flames were burning bright blue and a Dark Spiral adorned his right arm.

"What the…did Ken Dark Digivolve a Meramon?" TK asked in confusion.

"No," Takato scanned the Digimon with his D-Ark. "That's BlueMeramon, one of two Ultimate levels for Meramon, the other Ultimate level being SkullMeramon. He's a Virus attribute Digimon, and his flames burn bright blue, giving his enemies freezing burns. He has two attacks, Cold Flame and Ice Phantom."

"As you can see, my army has grown to include more Ultimate level Digimon," Ken glowered to the children below him, the Digimon moving in protectively. "So I suggest you surrender now."

"Get real, Ken!" said Davis. "We're going to stop this right here and now!"

"Davis," Takato said to the burgundy-haired boy. "Let us handle the Ultimate levels. It'll be up to you and Matt to destroy the Dark Spiral on MetalGreymon."

"Us?" Davis asked in confusion, wondering how he and Matt alone could break MetalGreymon's Dark Spiral.

"Davis," Matt placed a hand on Davis's shoulder. "Just believe in us and your partner, as well as yourself." Davis was quiet as he pondered the words.

"I'll back you up as well," Rika said to the two boys. "Kyubimon, you'll have to Digivolve again."

"Very well," Kyubimon said with a small nod.

"Guys, the Blue Cards!" Henry yelled to his teammates. "Leomon, cover us!"

"Understood!" the lion man nodded. Henry, Rika, Suzie, Takato and Ryo quickly pulled the Blue Cards out of their pockets and swiped them through the D-Arks to enable Ultimate level Digivolution.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"GARGOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…RAPIDMON!"

"KYUBIMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TAOMON!"

"TURUIEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANTYLAMON!"

"GROWLMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WARGROWLMON!"

"STRIKEDRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…CYBERDRAMON!"

"Digivolve further, Birdramon!" Sora called to her partner as her Digivice turned bright red with orange buttons and Birdramon Digivolved to her Ultimate level for the second time today.

"BIRDRAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARUDAMON!"

"Go for it, guys!" called Ryo.

"I don't think so!" said Ken. "Megadramon, destroy them!"

"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon opened his metallic claws and fired a number of missiles from his arms at the Digidestined and Tamers. Taomon, Kyubimon's Ultimate level who resembled an onmyuji, remained calm amongst the panic as she placed her hands together.

"TALISMAN SPELL!" A massive purple dome of energy appeared over the Digidestined, the Tamers and their Digimon, protecting them from the missiles.

"TRI-HORN ATTACK!" Triceramon was the next slave to attack, charging forward on his hind legs and slamming his three horns into Taomon's barrier, but the dome held firm.

"I've got Triceramon handled!" said Rapidmon, a green armored dog that could move at fast speeds. Flying so fast that he was only seen as a green blur, Rapidmon flew out of the dome and crashed into Triceramon, knocking him away from the dome.

"Take this, horny! RAPID FIRE!" Raising his arms, Rapidmon fired two missiles at Triceramon, but the dinosaur Digimon was barely affected by the projectiles exploding against his tough shell.

"Rapidmon, wait!" Cyberdramon said once the dome dropped. "Let me handle Triceramon! Take care of Okuwamon!"

"Whatever you say!" Rapidmon took off and flew after Okuwamon, who was attempting to divebomb the children. Seeing a new challenge in the green cyborg, the gray insect flew up at Rapidmon with his claws outstretched.

"DOUBLE SCISSOR CLAW!" The pincers swung at Rapidmon, but the green cyborg managed to dodge at the last second with his much faster speed, appearing behind him and kicking him in the back of the head.

* * *

"RADIATION BLADES!" WarGrowlmon flew right for Megadramon, slashing with his blades while Garudamon aided him with her Phoenix Claw.

"ULTIMATE SLICER!" Megadramon swung out with his arms at the two Ultimate levels, both catching the metal limbs. The three Digimon fought in a battle for strength, but Megadramon managed to wrap his tail around Garudamon's leg, knocking her down before swinging her into WarGrowlmon. The two Ultimate level Digimon crashed into the ground and Megadramon fired his Genocide Attack again.

"Get behind me!" WarGrowlmon planted himself in front of Garudamon and merely grunted as he felt the missiles explode off his body, Takato grunting as well from the pain his partner was feeling.

* * *

Nearby, Allomon, Sheepmon and Antylamon, a giant brown rabbit that wore light purple pants, engaged BlueMeramon in battle. It was difficult to hit him, as his flames burned cold.

"ICE PHANTOM!" The flaming blue man thrust his arms out to release a blast of cold air at the Digimon, but Allomon stood with his back to Sheepmon and Antylamon, breathing in air for his attack.

"DINO BURST!" The flames connected with the cold wind and pushed back the ice, forcing BlueMeramon to change tactics.

"COLD FLAME!" Conjuring up two blue fireballs in his hands, BlueMeramon threw them at Allomon and Sheepmon with surprising speed. The fireballs exploded against them, and both Armor Digimon yelled in pain from the freezing burns that appeared on their bodies.

"Agh…so cold!" Sheepmon groaned as Antylamon leapt forward, her hands turning into axes.

"BUNNY BLADES!" Antylamon ran for BlueMeramon, who released more blue fireballs, only to see the Deva slice through them with relative ease.

"Suzie, a flame card!"

"Right!" Suzie pulled out a card with another flaming man not unlike Meramon and BlueMeramon and gave it a swipe through the D-Ark to give Antylamon another attack temporarily.

"DIGI-MODIFY! SKULLMERAMON ACTIVATE!"

"HEAVY METAL FIRE!" Antylamon roared, spewing out blue flames from her mouth that engulfed BlueMeramon, causing the flaming man to scream in pain from the attack.

"That…Spiral…is still on tight!" Allomon groaned through his wounds, seeing the Spiral on BlueMeramon's arm was still attached without showing any sign of damage. Antylamon narrowed her eyes, realizing this would not be easy. But then again, she was a Deva, and she had faced far stronger troubles than this.

* * *

"Kari, I need to become Angewomon!" Swanmon said as she landed on the ground next to her partner and reverted to Gatomon. "I can give Rapidmon a hand that way!"

"Do it," Kari nodded. Gatomon leapt into the air and glowed brightly to reach her Ultimate level.

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEWOMON!" The blond-haired female angel took flight to aid Rapidmon in battle against Okuwamon. Leomon broke away from the group and leapt up to fight Stingmon, the green insect Digimon having dropped down to try and fight Veemon. Ken merely chuckled at the different fights taking place around him before looking down at Davis.

"I wonder how much longer it will take for you to realize that resisting me is useless, Davis," he called down to his old friend.

"And I wonder how long it will take for you to realize that we'll never stop resisting you!" yelled TK, making Ken look over to him. "We'll never let darkness reign over the Digital World again!"

"Excuse me, but is your name Davis Motomiya?" Ken asked rudely. "If it's not, then shut up!"

"Why, you!" TK's anger flared up at Ken insulting him. "Angemon, get that Dark Spiral!"

"HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!" The golden beam flew from Angemon's fist and connected with the Dark Spiral, but the dark device didn't even crack under the attack. Growling in annoyance, MetalGreymon raised his left arm and swatted Angemon away, sending him flying away from the battlefield.

"Angemon!" TK yelled in concern for his partner.

"What the…Angemon's attack didn't affect MetalGreymon at all?!" Mimi asked in confusion. "I thought that could take down any Digimon!" The pink-haired girl stood close to Jeri, holding Palmon in her arms. The plant Digimon was still hurting from her last battle with MetalGreymon, rending her unable to fight this time.

"Usually if it's a dark-type Digimon, like Devimon," answered Rika. "Against any other Digimon, though…"

"Then I guess it's up to us then," Davis said, taking in a deep breath before stepping forward and looking up at MetalGreymon, who continued growling.

"So what will it be, Davis?" Ken looked down. "Are you giving up now?"

(Play Digimon Tamers no Theme)

"No," Davis said firmly. "I'm not giving up. I'll never give up! Not until everything is back to the way it was! I've been foolish letting my friendship with you get in the way of fighting you and MetalGreymon, but I realize now that it's the only way! I don't care what the consequences will be, or what has to be done Ken, but I won't stop fighting until Agumon and Tai are reunited with each other, and I won't stop until you're back to the kind boy you were when we first met!"

"Davis…" Stingmon whispered in awe, breaking away from Leomon temporarily.

"For the sake of my true friends…I will fight!" Davis screamed, and his D-3 suddenly glowed brightly. At the same time, the Digimental of Friendship glowed brightly and rose up from the hole it sat in, floating past everybody until it stopped in front of Davis. Staring at the black object in awe, Davis raised his hands and allowed the Digimental to land in his palms.

"This is…my new Digimental!"

"Now Davis has two Digimentals!" Yolei gasped.

"Davis, use the Digimental of Friendship!" called Ryo. "Believe in your bonds of friendship!"

"Believe…" Davis whispered.

"Don't think I'll let you use that!" yelled Ken. "MetalGreymon, crush them!"

MetalGreymon roared and prepared his Trident Arm, but a loud roaring caused Ken to turn around and yell in surprise when Triceramon was thrown into MetalGreymon's side, causing the Trident Arm to hit the ground far near Davis.

"You know Ken, you never talked this much before!" Cyberdramon growled as he stormed over to MetalGreymon and Triceramon. "What, did you fall in love with your own voice?"

"TRI-HORN ATTACK!" Triceramon charged for Cyberdramon again, and the black-armored dragon fired his Desolation Claw attack at the dinosaur Digimon. The attack bounced off Triceramon's head due to the toughness of his shell, but it was still strong enough to slow down the horned dinosaur, allowing Cyberdramon to grab Triceramon by his two biggest horns and flip him on the ground, where he had a clear visual on the Dark Spiral.

"DESOLATION CLAW!" The energy beam flew from Cyberdramon's hands and collided with the Dark Spiral, which shattered to pieces.

"Cyberdramon managed to break a Dark Spiral!" Cody gasped in shock. "They can be broken!"

"Impossible!" Ken yelled in shock. But then again, Cyberdramon was a powerful Digimon.

Growling lowly, Cyberdramon grabbed Triceramon by the tail and threw him at MetalGreymon again. The dinosaur slammed into the cyborg, forcing MetalGreymon to take several steps back and nearly making Ken fall off his shoulder. Cyberdramon then flew up to Ken and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Get off Tai's Digimon!" he yelled, pulling Ken off MetalGreymon and growling in his face. Ken's eyes widened in fear as he looked at the growling dragon, worried what Ryo's partner would do. Suddenly, a dark pulse came over both Cyberdramon and Ken. The Digimon and young tyrant yelled in pain as they collapsed to the ground, dark energy swirling through them.

"Cyberdramon!" Ryo yelled, running towards his partner in worry.

"Davis, the Digimental!" yelled Rika. "Use it now!" Davis, worried about Ken yelling pain, steeled himself and focused on MetalGreymon.

"Veemon! You ready, buddy?"

"Yeah!" Veemon nodded and Davis held the Digimental of Friendship high in the air while Matt pulled out his Digivice to allow Gabumon to Digivolve.

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…THUNDERING FRIENDSHIP, RAIDRAMON!"

"GABUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARURUMON!"

"GARURUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WEREGARURUMON!"

WereGarurumon stood in place of Gabumon, and in place of Veemon was a quadruped Digimon covered in black armor. Three black spikes grew from his back and a gold and silver metallic horn stuck out of the black helmet on his head.

"Raidramon…" Davis breathed, amazed at his partner's new form.

"Davis, climb on!" said Raidramon. "Let's save Agumon together!"

"Yeah!" Davis ran over and climbed on Raidramon's back. Before he could have Raidramon take off for MetalGreymon, the burgundy-haired boy felt someone climb on Raidramon. Looking behind him, Davis was surprised to see Matt and Rika climbing on with him.

"What are you…"

"You think we're going to let you do this yourselves?" Matt asked with a smirk.

"Taomon, WereGarurumon! Get in there!" yelled Rika.

"Right!" both Digimon exclaimed, heading for the virus cyborg.

"TRIDENT ARM!" The metal claws flew out at WereGarurumon, but the beast man Digimon leapt up to dodge the arm and landed on the cable, running up it before leaping up again and kicking MetalGreymon in the face, forcing him back several steps.

"THOUSAND SPELLS!" Taomon raised her arms in the air and waved her sleeves around, making numerous paper seals fly out at MetalGreymon. The blue Ultimate level slashed at some of the seals with his metal claws and burned more with his Revenge Flame, but more papers flew out and hit MetalGreymon in the chest, making him step back even more.

"Now's your chance, Raidramon!" said Davis.

"Yes!" Raidramon ran forward and leapt up towards MetalGreymon's right arm, where the Dark Spiral was.

"BLUE THUNDER!" The spikes on his back crackled with electricity before firing it at the Dark Spiral, hitting it and making it crackle with electricity.

"ELECTRIC BITE!" Raidramon followed the attack up by leaping on MetalGreymon's arm and biting on the Spiral, his teeth sparking with electricity. MetalGreymon roared in pain as he shook his arm, forcing Raidramon back on the ground. Fortunately, the black beast managed to keep his three passengers on board the entire time.

"WOLF CLAW!" WereGarurumon attacked with his claws again, but MetalGreymon knocked the attack aside with his metal arm before firing his Giga Destroyer.

"TALISMAN OF LIGHT!" A giant brush slid out from inside Taomon's sleeve, and the magic-wielding Digimon drew a magic seal in the air before releasing it at the missiles. The attacks collided in an explosion that nearly blinded the combatants.

"That Dark Spiral is tougher than I thought!" said Matt. "How was Cyberdramon able to break it easily?"

"He's powerful like that," said Davis. "Maybe if we tried freezing it, we could weaken it…"

"That could work," Matt agreed, turning to his partner. "WereGarurumon, Digivolve and target the Dark Spiral!"

"Understood!" WereGarurumon charged forward and Matt leapt off Raidramon, landing on his Digivolving partner's back.

"WEREGARURUMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…METALGARURUMON!" WereGarurumon dropped on all fours, becoming a wolf again, but this time, his entire body was covered in metal, and yellow wings grew from his back. This was Gabumon's Mega form.

"Hold that wolf!" Rika stood up on Raidramon's back and leapt off, landing on MetalGarurumon's back, arms wrapped around Matt's waist. "Taomon, give us cover!"

"Of course," Taomon nodded.

"Davis, let's go!" said Matt. Davis nodded, determination running through his body.

"Right!"

* * *

"Cyberdramon, hang in there!" Ryo said to his partner once he reached him. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think so…" Cyberdramon groaned, struggling to stand back up. "I think…when I touched Ken…Millenniummon's data…reacted to the Dark Spore inside him…" Ryo paled slightly when he heard what his partner said.

"What…what does that mean for us?" Cyberdramon was silent before he answered, and it unsettled Ryo even more than before.

"I don't know…"

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

Stingmon continued his battle with Leomon, attempting to stab him with his Spiking Finish, but thanks to a Digimon card from Jeri, the beast man gained a second sword and was expertly using them to keep the insect man at bay. Stingmon prepared his Moon Shooter, but a familiar yell of pain caused him to look off to the side.

"Ken!" Stingmon gasped, seeing his partner writhe in pain on the ground. The insect assassin was torn between continuing his fight with Leomon and helping his partner, when…

"Go to him," Leomon said to Stingmon, sheathing his real sword while letting the other sword vanish in thin air. Stingmon could only look at Leomon in confusion.

"What…?"

"Go to him," repeated Leomon. "He is your partner Stingmon, and he needs you now." Stingmon and Leomon stared intently at each other until Stingmon nodded, flying over to Ken and scooping him up in his arms before taking off from the battlefield. Leomon watched the green insect Digimon leave as Jeri walked up to him.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let him go?"

"Yes," Leomon nodded. "I know Stingmon will do the right thing when it comes down to it. But for now, there is another battle to be fought." He looked up in the sky to see Angewomon and Rapidmon continuing their battle with Okuwamon. "Jeri, I'll need to fly!"

"I got it!" Jeri grabbed a White Wings card from her pocket and swiped it through her D-Ark slot, allowing Leomon to grow wings like Angemon's and fly up to help his fellow Digimon.

* * *

"Stingmon…what's happening?" Ken groaned in his partner's arms as Stingmon flew away.

"We're losing badly," Stingmon said truthfully. "We have to leave now."

"No…I won't…!" Ken argued, but grunted in pain. Whatever had happened when Cyberdramon touched him had nearly drained him. "I won't leave…there has to be something we can do…to end this!"

"Perhaps," Stingmon muttered as Ken looked down below and noticed something. "But maybe we can think of something back at the base…"

"Wait!" said Ken. "Look down there!" Stingmon followed Ken's gaze and saw, several yards away from the fight, was Angemon, struggling to free himself from a number of boulders he ended up trapped under when MetalGreymon swatted him with his metal arm. An evil smirk came upon Ken's face again.

"Stingmon…take me down there!"

"But…"

"NOW!" yelled Ken. "I may have found somebody new!"

'Oh, no…' Stingmon thought in worry as he dropped down towards Angemon. As the green insect man flew down, Ken pulled out a Dark Spiral, his eyes never leaving the angel Digimon.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Target ~Akai Shougeki~)

"DOUBLE SCISSOR CLAW!" Okuwamon slashed at the two Digimon fighting him with his pincers again, intent on cutting through them in half. However, Angewomon's smaller size and Rapidmon's speed made it easy for them to dodge the attack. But it still wasn't enough to get to the Dark Spiral.

"Man! How hard can it be to squish one bug?" asked Rapidmon.

"We have to find a way to keep him from moving," said Angewomon. "If we hit him with a strong enough attack…"

"Leave that to me!" Leomon roared as he soared past the two Ultimate levels and rammed his fist into an unsuspecting Okuwamon, forcing him back with his Fist of the Beast King, the attack stronger thanks to a card from Jeri. The gray insect Digimon groaned as he stumbled back in the sky.

"Now's your chance!" Leomon yelled, flying out of the way so Rapidmon and Angewomon could attack.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

Angewomon's arrow soared through the sky and pierced the Dark Spiral, making cracks appear around it. As this happened, Rapidmon raised his arms in the air, an orb of light appearing in each one as a third one appeared on his feet.

"TRI-BEAM!" The three orbs combined to form a green triangular laser beam that flew at the Dark Spiral, hitting it and destroying it. Okuwamon dropped out of the sky and crashed to the ground unconscious, free from the Dark Spiral's influence.

* * *

"GENOCIDE ATTACK!" Megadramon flew in the sky again and fired his missiles at Garudamon and WarGrowlmon, but the bird woman expertly dodged the missiles coming for her while WarGrowlmon plowed through his projectiles with his Radiation Blades, flying right up to the giant dragon and delivering a massive headbutt.

Megadramon nearly fell out of the sky, disoriented by the headbutt, which allowed the two Ultimate levels to capitalize and attack the Dark Spiral.

"SHADOW WING!"

"ATOMIC BLASTER!"

The fiery bird soared at Megadramon, strengthened further by the red atomic beams, and collided with the dragon in a fiery explosion that enveloped the Dark Spiral and shattered it to pieces.

* * *

"DYNAMITE HEAD!" Allomon charged forward at BlueMeramon and crashed his head into the flaming Digimon's body, creating an explosion that forced BlueMeramon back.

"SILENCE OF LAMBS!" Sheepmon planted his feet firmly in the ground before delivering a loud bleat that shook the area around BlueMeramon, causing the Dark Spiral to vibrate and crack slightly from the vibrations. Antylamon leapt up into the air and her arms transformed into axes again so she could attack.

"COLD FLAME!" In a desperate move, BlueMeramon lobbed his ice fireballs at Antylamon, but Allomon and Sheepmon used their attacks to disperse the fireballs, allowing Antylamon to attack.

"BUNNY BLADES!" The rabbit Deva dropped down fast and swung her axes hard, shattering the Dark Spiral and knocking BlueMeramon unconscious.

* * *

"TALISMAN OF LIGHT!" Taomon pulled out her brush again and fired another seal at MetalGreymon, colliding with his chest. MetalGreymon roared in pain from the attack as he dropped down to one knee, his right arm stretched out.

"Now!" Matt yelled to his partner.

"METAL WOLF CLAW!" MetalGarurumon opened his mouth and spewed out a blast of ice that covered the Dark Spiral on MetalGreymon's right arm, freezing it solid.

"All right Raidramon, it's all or nothing now!" said Davis. "Hit that Spiral with everything you've got!" Raidramon grunted as the horn on his head crackled with electricity.

"LIGHTNING BLADE!" Putting all of his strength into the attack, Raidramon released the attack, which soared through the air and collided with the Dark Spiral. The black device crackled with black electricity before breaking off MetalGreymon's arm, dissolving to data.

Nobody was able to hold in their cheers when they saw the Dark Spiral shatter.

"Davis and Raidramon did it!" said Sora, a big smile on her face. "Agumon is back with us!"

"It's finally off," said Matt, relief on his face. MetalGreymon glowed bright yellow and shrunk down. When the glow faded, what stood in his place was not Agumon, but a small pink ball-shaped Digimon with long ears and soft red eyes.

"He turned into Koromon, his In-Training level," Rika noted, scanning the Digimon with her D-Ark.

"The constant battles and Digivolutions Ken put him through the past two days must have caused him to lose a lot of energy," Taomon noted before reverting to Renamon.

"Yeah, the same happened to me," Tsunomon, an orange and cream furred Digimon with a gray horn, said once he reverted from MetalGarurumon. "It's been a long time since I went Mega."

"But at least he's finally back with us," Davis sighed in happiness as he watched his mentor run over to the small Digimon.

(Play Digimon: Shinka de Guts!)

"Koromon…are you okay?"

"Tai…" Koromon moaned, looking up to his partner meekly. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Tai said with watering eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay…" The bushy-haired boy hugged Koromon as best he could, being mindful of his injuries. "Promise me you'll be okay from now on when I'm not around. I was really worried…"

"I promise I will be…" Koromon snuggled in Tai's arms, his red eyes watering as well.

"Davis, that was amazing!" Kari ran forward and climbed up on Raidramon, throwing her arms around her boyfriend in happiness. "You got Agumon back for Tai!"

"Yeah…I did it…" Davis smiled, returning the hug and accepting a kiss on the cheek from Kari.

"Davis…" The burgundy-haired boy looked up to see Matt holding Tsunomon in his arms, a calm smile on his face that seemed to calm Davis's psyche. "Do you understand now?"

"I do…" Davis nodded, stroking Raidramon's ear with one hand while keeping his other arm wrapped around Kari's waist. "I understand now Matt…"

"Good," Rika said with a small smile of her own before looking over to everybody else. "So, is everybody okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine Rika," Takato said, looking over Guilmon. "Megadramon didn't do much damage to us…"

"Although I'm feeling hot and cold in some places," Hawkmon groaned in Yolei's arms.

"Let's get back home then," said Mimi. "Koromon looks like he could use some medical attention."

"And food," groaned Koromon. "I'm so hungry…"

"I bet you are," Tai said with a chuckle. The roars of stomachs belonging to other Digimon sounded through the area made everybody else chuckle

"Cyberdramon, can you stand?" Ryo asked, helping his partner up.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" Cyberdramon breathed, feeling the dark sensation disappear from his body. As the Digidestined and Tamers regrouped, TK looked around the area and suddenly noticed somebody missing.

"Hey, has anybody seen Angemon?" The rest of the group looked around, noticing the chosen Digimon of Hope was missing from their ranks.

"Yeah, MetalGreymon knocked him over the left," Mimi looked to where she saw Angemon fly away. "I think he…"

SHLUCK!

Everybody went quiet when they heard the sound of something going through flesh, and what they saw shocked them all, especially Ryo and TK.

Cyberdramon stood still in shock, looking down to see a purple sword sticking out of his chest. The cyborg dragon could only give out gurgled noises as the sword was pulled out from behind his back.

"Cyberdramon!" Ryo cried out as Cyberdramon glowed brightly and shrunk down to his In-Training level Hopmon, a small purple dragon with little wings. The sword that stabbed Ryo's partner in the back was lowered, and TK could only gape at the attacker.

"Ma…MagnaAngemon?" The eight-winged angel Digimon stood before everybody, glaring at them through his helmet. TK was confused beyond belief. He never remembered Angemon Digivolving at all. How was that possible?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Oh, no…" Takato whispered in shock, his eyes on a particular limb of MagnaAngemon's body. "His left arm…" TK looked at MagnaAngemon's left arm, and he felt his blood run cold, his eyes shrink down to the size of raindrops, and his body freeze up. There, on his left arm, was a Dark Spiral.

"It…it can't be…!" the child of Hope whispered in shock.

"Oh, but it can be!" Ken laughed as he appeared above MagnaAngemon on Stingmon's shoulder. "I may have lost MetalGreymon, but I just received a major improvement: MagnaAngemon, an Ultimate level Digimon powerful enough to be considered a Mega!"

"This can't be…!" gasped Gatomon.

"MagnaAngemon, show them your power!" Ken said to his newest slave. MagnaAngemon spread his eight wings and took flight, his sword raised in the air as he drew a purple circle in front of him.

"NO!" TK screamed in horror. "PATAMON, DON'T DO THIS!" But MagnaAngemon didn't hear TK's pleas at all as the golden gate appeared in front of him.

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" The gate opened up and glowed bright white. The Digidestined and Tamers braced themselves in an attempt to prevent themselves from being sucked into the gate, but they felt no pulling force.

"What's going on?" Rika asked as she looked up at the gate. "Why aren't we getting sucked into it?"

"It can do more than that," Gatomon said gravelly. Davis and TK looked up and saw the light in the gate glowing more brightly, and they realized what was about to happen.

"HIT THE GROUND!" The gate released a blast of white energy that tore up the ground underneath it and hit the children and Digimon, knocking them all off their feet. Ken laughed with madness when he saw his former friends and their teammates lie in pain on the ground, impressed with the power of MagnaAngemon. With the powerful angel Digimon by his side, he could take over the entire Digital World in a matter of days.

"I won't kill you for now," the young emperor said to Davis and Ryo. "I want you to watch as I finally bring balance to the Digital World, and then I will bring balance to the Human World. And then, once that is all done…I will finish you off!" Ken laughed like mad as Stingmon and MagnaAngemon flew away in the skies above.

"No…" TK groaned, struggling to stand back up from the attack, but he could only lie in agony and watch as his partner flew away. "Patamon…"

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 15

 **Something good happens, but I end this chapter with something bad happening. In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "Ain't I a stinker?"**

 **The team has a new Digimental, and Davis now understands true friendship. While that may have been enough to get Agumon back, it didn't stop Ken from getting MagnaAngemon. Now things have truly gotten worse. And it seems like Impmon is in Odaiba, but the question is: Where in Odaiba is he?**

 **For the part where Ken captured MagnaAngemon, I was heavily inspired by the fanfiction Zero 2: A Revision by Ultra Sonic 007, who I would like to thank for the idea. I've seen a lot of 02 rewrites on this website, and as far as I know, Ultra Sonic 007 is the only one that did the idea of Ken actually accomplishing what he tried to do in the anime, and that's enslave MagnaAngemon, so I decided to do it as well. For those that haven't, read Zero 2: A Revision by Ultra Sonic 007. It's one of the best re-tellings of 02 on the fanfiction website. It's a little old as it was written in 2003, but it's an amazing piece of writing, and it also has several spin-offs and sequels.**

 **What did you think of the battles? What did you think of MagnaAngemon being captured? Let me know in your reviews.**

 **In the next chapter, the search for Impmon continues in Odaiba, and Kari and Gatomon have a dream of an old friend...**


	16. Chapter 16: The Ghost of Odaiba!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **To quote Sylvester Stallone: "YO ADRIAN...I DID IT!"**

 **I have finally gotten more than 100 reviews for this story! I would like to thank everybody who has reviewed this story, be they positive or negative, and I would like to thank you for the support by also following this story and adding it to your favorites. Now let's see if we can get to 200 in the future!**

 **In this chapter, we finally get Impmon, and this may very well be my longest chapter yet! So let's get into the next chapter.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

The Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers found the Digimental of Friendship, which went to Davis when he finally understood the true meaning of Friendship. Thanks to Raidramon, Agumon was finally free, but Ken managed to escape with TK's partner, MagnaAngemon, under his control. Meanwhile, Ai and Mako have learned Impmon is in Odaiba, but where exactly is he?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Ghost of Odaiba! The Imp Returns

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

"Impmon!"

"Impmon, where are you?"

"Come on out, Impmon!"

"Where are you, pal? Stealing bread from a bakery?"

Near the Aqua City shopping district, Ai, Mako, Kazu and Kenta were looking for the missing Impmon, where the twins managed to isolate Impmon's signal. The search had been going on for the last two hours, and to the annoyance of Kazu and Kenta, as well as the sadness of Ai and Mako, they had not found the purple impish Digimon yet. Of course, they had to be very discreet in public, since nobody could really know about the Digimon yet.

"I couldn't find him around the arcade," Kenta said once the four Tamers regrouped outside the district. Dark clouds were beginning to form high in the skies above Odaiba, indicating more rain coming.

"What about you?" Kazu asked his disguised partner.

"I managed to sneak into the movie theatre, but he wasn't there," answered Kokuwamon. "Did your search fare well, Kazu?"

"No," the visor-wearing boy said with a shake of his head. "I figured he'd be hiding around the bakery, since he likes bread as much as Guilmon."

"I couldn't find him at the candy store," Ai said with a sad look on her face, Mako having the same expression as his twin sister.

"And I didn't see him at the toy store." Mako looked down at the D-Ark again, the screen still displaying a spinning red arrow. "I don't get it. It says Impmon is here in Odaiba, but we haven't been able to find him."

"Where could he be?" Ai asked worriedly. "Why hasn't he come out to us yet?"

"That is a good question," said Kokuwamon. "If Impmon truly is here in Odaiba, and is around this shopping district, then why has he not shown himself to us?"

"Yeah, you think he'd be excited to see Ai and Mako again," Kazu said, getting nods from everybody. If Impmon was in Aqua City, then where was he?

"Ai! Mako!" The twins perked up when they heard a familiar voice call out to them. Turning with Kazu, Kenta and Kokuwamon, they were greeted with the sight of Jeri running towards them, a small red Digimon running near her, wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt.

"Jeri!" Both twins ran forward and threw their arms around the older girl in a hug. "You're back!"

"Yeah, I am," Jeri chuckled.

"So did you guys get Agumon back?" Kazu asked as he approached Jeri.

"And did Davis get the Digimental of Friendship?" Kenta continued the questioning.

"We did…but that's only the good news," Jeri said with a sad frown, making Kazu and Kenta look worried.

"What happened?" asked Kokuwamon.

"Ken managed to capture Angemon and he now has MagnaAngemon under his control," said Jeri, getting gasps of surprise from Kazu and Kenta.

"No way!" gasped Kenta.

"So Ken actually succeeded in getting MagnaAngemon this time?!" Kazu asked, remembering that particular moment from the TV show. "Did he kill anybody?"

"No, he's holding that out until after he takes over the Digital World," Jeri answered.

"Jeez, with MagnaAngemon as his slave, he could have the entire Digital World brought under his control in a week!" said Kenta. "I bet TK's not taking it well."

"He isn't," said Jeri, a pained look on her face. "He hasn't said much since his partner's been captured. I left the computer room so I could find you and give you the heads-up, as well as see Ai and Mako again. What are you doing here in Aqua City?"

"We found Impmon," Mako answered, showing the D-Ark to Jeri. The brown-haired girl's eyes widened at the sight of the spinning red arrow.

"Impmon is here?!" asked Calumon, who was riding on Jeri's shoulders.

"Here in Aqua City, to be precise," said Kokuwamon.

"But we can't seem to be getting a precise location," said Ai. "The arrow's spinning like crazy, and we've looked all over this place for Impmon. We don't know where he is." Jeri's eyes softened as she looked up at the Fuji TV Station, a sad look on her face, as well as something that seemed like she realized something.

"Uh…Jeri?" asked Kenta. "Are you okay? You're spacing out." Jeri blinked several times and shook her head.

"Oh…sorry," the brown-haired girl looked back to her fellow Tamers. "I…I think I may know where Impmon is."

"Wait, you do?" asked Kazu, confused like Kenta, Kokuwamon and the twins. "How do you know?"

"And where is he?" asked Betamon from Kenta's backpack. Jeri hesitated before answering.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. It's getting late."

"Aww…" Ai and Mako said sadly when they saw a clock nearby reach 6:00. "We were so close…"

"Don't worry…we'll see him again soon," Jeri reassured the twins, though she didn't sound sure herself. As Jeri hugged Ai and Mako, Kazu noticed the red and yellow figure sitting next to Jeri, and his eyes widened in slight surprise.

"Uh…Jeri? Why is there an Elecmon with you?" Jeri perked up and looked down at the red Digimon, a smile back on her face.

"Oh! It's quite a story, actually…"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Juri no Theme)

"Kazu, Kenta…it has been a long time," Elecmon said with a small bow to the two boys. "Jeri has told me you have matured greatly since we last met." Kazu and Kenta's eyes both widened in shock and their jaws dropped at the familiar voice.

"Holy…smokes…" Kenta gasped.

"Is this…Leomon?!" Kazu asked in disbelief. "How is he…?"

"It's a long story," Jeri said, picking up Elecmon and carrying him in her arms. "I'll tell you on the way."

* * *

As Jeri led the other Tamers out of Aqua City, thunder rumbled softly overhead in Odaiba, indicating an approaching thunderstorm. In a room in the Fuji TV station full of recording equipment, two men in their thirties sat in front of a computer. One of the men, who wore glasses and a red bandana, was excited as he clicked on the mouse to play the video.

"This is absolutely exciting! My first big directing job! Put that shot there!" The other man, who had a five o'clock shadow and a baseball cap, obliged with moving a clip into the video feed. A script sat on the desk near them, reading STRANGE WORLD: BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

"All right, this here after the wide shot…" the bearded man said as he obliged with the director's wishes. Chioka, the director, sat back in his chair with zeal. When he first started working in the TV business five years ago, he didn't seem all that passionate or excited. But after being involved in the zany stuff that happened four years ago in Odaiba, he was inspired to produce fantastic material. After three years of planning, his show was given the green light, and the first episode was scheduled for July.

However, the editor wasn't excited as Chioka as he stared at the screen with a frown. "Hey Chioka, did you purify this yourself after you shot this?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Chioka asked with a confused eyebrow raised.

"Well, some weird things have been happening lately when it comes to our mystery shows," said the editor. "Have you heard about what's been going on around here?"

"No, I've been in South America for the last few months filming. What's been going on?"

"Well, some weird black shadow has been popping up on our screens, and nobody can seem to find an explanation for it," explained the editor as Chioka wheeled over to him. "And apparently, some of the employees have been seeing something around here lately. When asked, they said it looks like some sort of…wizard."

"A wizard?" Chioka asked, slightly interested and confused. "Do they say what it really looks like?"

"Don't know," the editor shook his head. "When they turn back to get a second look, it's gone. They think this place is haunted."

"That's a little preposterous," said Chioka. "The rebuilding of this place was just finished last year. No way it can be haunted! Plus, there's no way some black shadow has been popping up in the videos."

"Well, let's just see," the editor said uneasily as he clicked to play the video. The two men sat in silence as the video played. Moments later, something happened. In the upper right corner, fading in and out of the picture was a black, shaky form with what appeared to be white eyes.

"Wha…what is that?!" Chioka asked in shock. "I don't remember seeing that when I was filming!"

"That's the black shadow," the editor said, taking a swig of his coffee. Whatever that shadow was, it was definitely not natural.

* * *

"…and that's everything that happened Izzy," finished Tai. The Digidestined and the Tamers sat in the computer room, telling everything that happened today to Izzy. As Jeri had left to find Kazu, Kenta, Ai and Mako, Mimi did the same to tell Joe everything, as well as to get Palmon medical attention.

Sora and Rika started the story with how they rescued Agumon from Ken's base, before Henry took over to tell Izzy about the Digimental of Friendship, and Matt finished it with MagnaAngemon falling under Ken's control and stabbing Cyberdramon.

"Is Hopmon all right?" Izzy asked in concern, looking over to see Ryo, Davis and DemiVeemon attending to the small dragon in Ryo's arms.

"He should be fine," Ryo said uneasily. "He's been able to take much worse, but it's going to be a few hours before he'll be able to fight again."

"This is definitely not a good improvement for us at all," said Takato. "We didn't think Ken would actually go for MagnaAngemon in the middle of the all the chaos."

"Did Ken do the same in the TV show?" asked Matt.

"He tried to, but Garurumon managed to save Patamon in time," said Rika. "But I think we should stop talking about the TV show until it's something very important."

"She's right," said Henry. "Since this is an alternate universe, things may go very differently. If something similar to the TV show happens, we'll let you know."

"That would be a good idea," Izzy said with a nod. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions this quickly."

"Well anyway, like Takato said, we now have a major problem," said Tentomon. "MagnaAngemon is quite possibly one of the most powerful Ultimate level Digimon to ever live."

"Tentomon's right," said Gatomon. "If we are to free Patamon, then we need a good plan."

TK didn't hear much of the conversation. Ever since returning home, his only thoughts had been on what Ken was possibly doing right now to the Digital World with MagnaAngemon under his control, and what he was forcing MagnaAngemon to do. The bearer of Hope clenched his fists in anger as thoughts swirled through his head about the suffering the innocent inhabitants of the Digital World were going through right now, as well as the suffering his own partner was going through right now. It made him angry.

Patamon was TK's best friend, and losing him felt like losing a part of himself. He had to get him back. He couldn't stand that the forces of darkness had corrupted his partner and was controlling him. Devimon, Myotismon, Piedmon, Millenniummon, the Digimon Emperor. They were all the same, though the Emperor wasn't himself right now. They were all evil dark beings, and TK hated each and every one of them! Angemon had died fighting Devimon, Myotismon nearly destroyed Odaiba and he killed Wizardmon, Gatomon's best friend, and Piedmon played a twisted game of hide and seek with Kari and TK. Millenniummon spread darkness throughout the Digital World and said it was needed, and the Digimon Emperor, influenced by Millenniummon's power, said the same thing as well. There was no way TK was leaving his partner in the hands of darkness for one second more. Izzy's voice brought the blond-haired boy out of his stupor.

"We'll have to meet up tomorrow, all of us, and figure out a plan. MagnaAngemon is not to be underestimated…"

"No," TK said shortly. "We have to go back now." The bearer of Hope walked over to the computer and began pulling up the Digital Gate.

"TK, we can't go back now." It hurt Matt to say that to his brother, but sadly, it was the truth, as most of the Digimon were exhausted.

"No, we have to go back now!" insisted TK. "I refuse to stay here any longer while Patamon is under the control of darkness!"

"TK, take it easy," Davis said, putting a hand on TK's shoulder. "We'll get Patamon back, but you have to relax and wait."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"NO!" TK threw Davis's hand off his shoulder and stood up with a glare. "Maybe you can wait, but I can't! The Digimon Emperor…he's gone too far this time! When I find him again, I'll kill him! I'll kill him for what he's done!" Most of the group reeled back in shock from what TK just said, Matt, Davis and Ryo being the most shocked.

"TK, listen to me! Ken's not in control of his actions!" Ryo reminded the younger boy.

"Besides, you're talking about taking another human life!" said Cody with a light glare. "Deplorable as his actions are, the Digimon Emperor needs to be brought to justice!"

"Okay, what part of 'Ken's being controlled' do you idiots not get?!" Rika asked the younger boy with a glare of her own. "Really, it surprises me how someone with the Digimental of Knowledge can be so stupid, he needs things to be repeated to him more than once!"

"Excuse me?!" Cody yelled angrily.

"Hey, don't call Cody stupid!" yelled Upamon and Yolei.

"I don't care if Ken's being controlled!" yelled TK. "He's taken Patamon over with the powers of darkness, and that's unforgiveable! I'll destroy anybody or anything related to darkness if it means getting Patamon back! And if that means Ken, so be it!"

"TK, calm down!" Kari pleaded to her friend. "You need to think about what you're saying!"

"I know exactly what I'm saying!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everybody in the room went silent as they looked over to Henry, his sudden yell catching everybody, even Terriermon, off guard.

"All right, let's pull back for a second here," the blue-haired boy said once all eyes were on him. "TK, I get it, you're upset and you're angry about what happened to Patamon, and I get that you have a thing against the forces of darkness, but that does not give you a reason to lash out at the people who are supposed to be your friends, go off half-cocked into the Digital World with no plan or backup, and threaten to kill an innocent human life. You're letting your emotions get the better of you, and that is acting as a detriment to our teamwork. I know that this isn't easy for you right now, but you need to calm down TK. We will get Patamon back, but we need you to take it easy. We can't do this if you lash out in anger while we're fighting Ken and MagnaAngemon. If that happens, Ken could use that to his advantage and things could go catastrophic. You're not the only one that's affected by this. Tai was a wreck when Agumon was taken yesterday, and now you're being a wreck as well."

"Albeit an emotional, angry one," Terriermon noted. A small glare from Henry made the long-eared dog Digimon quiet down.

TK breathed deeply as he felt himself calming down and began realizing what he just said to everybody, and regret began piercing through him. Henry was right. He was upset angry over Patamon's capture and enslavement, and he took it out on his friends, even threatening to kill an innocent live that was being manipulated to use the forces of darkness by the forces of darkness. The blond-haired boy could only look down with a saddened look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said with remorse in his voice. "I just…"

"I know TK," Matt patted his brother's shoulder. "But we can't do anything else today. Come on, I can let you crash at my place."

"He can have the guest room, I'll take the couch," Rika said before walking out of the computer room. "I'm going to catch up with Jeri. Come on Renamon." The yellow fox nodded shortly and walked out of the computer room with her partner, Yolei and Cody glaring daggers in the back of her head.

"What the hell is her problem? She calls me a wimp, and she calls Cody stupid!" the inheritor of Love asked in annoyance once Rika and Renamon were out of earshot.

"I think Rika doubts us," Cody said annoyingly, "but you think she could show her doubts in a different way."

"No, that's her usual Rika self," Suzie said with a sigh. Yolei and Cody both looked annoyed slightly over this, wondering what they did to annoy Rika and make her doubt them.

"Anyway, if this meeting is over, I'm going to take TK home," Matt stood TK up from the chair and led him out of the computer room with Tsunomon in hand.

"Hold on Matt, I'm coming too," Henry moved forward, placing Terriermon on his head. "I'll see you later Izzy."

"Okay," Izzy nodded to the departing Tamer before turning his attention to the rest of the group. "Well, if that's all for today, then we'll meet up tomorrow after school."

"Right," Tai said with a nod. "All of us." The Digidestined and Tamers nodded before leaving the room, their minds now on food and sleep.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"And that's everything that happened, Joe," Mimi finished telling Joe everything as the older boy wrapped bandages around Palmon. Joe had been listening to Mimi when she came to his apartment with an injured Palmon in hand. The blue-haired boy was surprised when he heard that their old friend Leomon was Jeri's partner Digimon, and was shocked when he heard about what happened to Patamon right after Agumon was freed and Davis received the Digimental of Friendship.

"Geez, it sounded like things didn't go that well," Gomamon said.

"Thanks for the obvious statement Gomamon," Joe sarcastically replied before turning his attention back to the duo of Sincerity. "If you're going back tomorrow, then I'm coming as well. It sounds like you'll need every hand on deck for this one."

"Will you be able to?" asked Mimi.

"Of course. I don't have any major tests tomorrow," Joe answered casually before snipping off the bandages on Palmon's waist. "All right Palmon, I'm done. Just take it easy for the night and you should be ready to go tomorrow."

"Thanks, Joe. The burns didn't seem as bad as I thought," Palmon said, looking around at her bandaged body.

"Well, you did get burned as Lillymon," said Gomamon. "Chances are when you reverted, you managed to heal some of the burns."

"That's good." Mimi picked up her partner in her arms and headed out of Joe's room. As she left, her eyes darted over to a picture on the dresser. Joe was in the picture, as well as a girl she didn't recognize. The girl had shoulder-length brown hair, and wore glasses like Joe. The two people in the picture had their arms around each other's waists and had big smiles on their faces as well. Mimi looked confused, wondering who the girl was.

"Hey, Joe…who's this girl in the picture with you?"

"Huh? Picture?" Joe walked over and blinked in surprise when he saw the picture Mimi was referring to. "Oh! That's Suzuki. She's, um…well…she's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?!" Mimi yelled in surprise. Joe could only blush in embarrassment over what he just said. "You didn't tell us you had a girlfriend! When did this happen?"

"It was last Christmas," Joe admitted. "Suzuki goes to my school, and we take the same classes, so we see each other a lot. At first, it was just a few meet-ups at small stores, but then it became something more and we decided to make it official during the holidays last year."

"Well, there you go!" Gomamon said from his place on Joe's bed. "Now you're getting somewhere in life! I thought there was more to life for you than studying and being a Digidestined!" The white seal looked happy about Joe having a girlfriend.

"Well, of course there is," Joe said with a huff. "But with the recent events in the Digital World, as well as exams coming up at our school, Suzuki and I don't have much time for each other right now. We only really see each other when in class."

"I see," Mimi nodded with looking at the picture with a thoughtful look, thinking about someone she considered special in her own life. "It's nice that you and Davis have someone special in your lives…"

"Do you?" Joe asked with a look of interest. Mimi was quiet before nodding.

"I do," she nodded before walking out of the bedroom. "I just wish he would notice it…"

"Who is it?" Joe asked curiously, wondering who could have had Mimi's eye on romance. The bearer of Sincerity looked like she didn't want to answer, as if the person she had a crush on was somebody Joe wouldn't approve of.

"Well…um…"

"Mimi, you don't have to tell me right now," Joe assured his friend. "It's all right if you're not sure how you feel about him, or if you don't want to tell me who he is."

"No, I know how I feel about Izzy, but I don't know if he's aware that I like him!"

"Wait, Izzy?!" Joe asked in surprise. "You like Izzy?!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Sweet Innocent ~Mimi no Theme~)

"Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but I started developing feelings for him while I was in America. Since Izzy was the computer guy of our team, he was able to help me keep in contact with the rest of you, but I usually talked to him the most, even more than you or Sora," answered Mimi. "I thought it was crazy as well, but whenever we started talking about our problems with each other and helped each other out with said problems, I started to realize how much Izzy was meaning to me."

"I tried to date other boys but none of them were as sweet and understanding as Izzy…" she slumped into a wall. "I'm being honest with myself here, Joe. I want so badly to tell Izzy that I like him but I'm not sure if he likes me, or if he does like me but doesn't know how to tell me."

"Wait, you do like Izzy?" asked Gomamon. "Then what was that whole thing about you getting on Ryo's case about a date?"

"I was young!" said Mimi. "I thought by getting on that, it could rile up Izzy. But I got over that. I don't think Izzy knows much about romance."

"If he doesn't, then you could teach him," Joe said with a light smile. "If you really like Izzy, then you should go for it and tell him how you feel about him the next time it's just you and him."

"You think I should do that?" asked Mimi.

"I do," Joe said honestly. "You just have to be honest with yourself on this Mimi, if you do like Izzy. I don't want to see you get hurt by making the wrong decision here. You've always been like my sister and I'd hate to see you in any kind of pain."

"Joe…" Mimi trailed off before hugging the older boy. "I am honest with myself. If you say I should just do it when it's me and Izzy next time, then I'll do it."

"Good," Joe returned the hug. "Anyway, you should get home and make sure Palmon gets lots of rest tonight."

"Okay!" Mimi chirped, picking up Palmon in her arms again and leaving the apartment. She decided the next time she was alone with Izzy, she would tell him her feelings, because she knew deep down in her heart she liked Izzy Izumi.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"AGH! There it is again!" Chioka snapped as the mysterious shadow zipped from left to right across his monitor. "And now it's moving around! No matter how many times I rewind and play it back, it's still there!"

"Just like everything else played in this room," said the editor. "If we recorded it on tape, it wouldn't have changed like that."

"Why is this happening?" Chioka asked, mashing his face with his hands. "Are we cursed? Or is this some kind of prank?" This was not how he imagined his directing debut would go.

The door suddenly flew open and a woman with short brown hair ran into the room.

"Yuki!" Chioka gasped, recognizing the woman as one of his old co-workers.

"Chioka! Have you seen the shadow?! It's appearing everywhere!"

"Everywhere?!" asked the editor. Yuki led the two men into the main monitor room. To the horror of Chioka and the editor, the mysterious shadow was now appearing on every screen in the room, obscuring the show and appearing in a different position.

"We're getting tons of complaints from our viewers," said Yuki. "It's on every channel that we're broadcasting!"

"What…what could be doing this?!" Chioka asked worriedly, seeing the shadow fly around on a game show.

"This…is no prank," the editor said in a grave tone. "I believe…this station really is haunted."

"Aw, man," Chioka moaned. He had seen strange stuff four years ago, but ghosts definitely took the cake on weird. "Does the boss know about this?"

"Hiroaki left a few minutes ago," said Yuki. "He went home to get some dinner and a quick nap. He'll be back for the night shift. He knows about the shadow, but he doesn't know it to this magnitude."

"Aw, man…" Chioka moaned again as he continued staring at the screen. "Maybe my mother was right about show business…"

* * *

(Play Digimon: Yuuhi no Yakusoku AiM version)

The dark clouds continued rolling over Odaiba, signaling the rain that would be coming soon. Rika walked down the street, her headphones on as she searched for Jeri. Her thoughts however were on the Digidestined, particularly Yolei and Cody. Those two brats often grinded her gears in the show, due to Yolei's loud and obnoxious personality and Cody's stiff nature and not trusting most people with a dark background, as well as their reluctance to kill evil Digimon. And now she had to work with them, and she realized they were exactly like they were in the show. They irritated her more than Kazu, Kenta and Ryo did, and that was saying something.

'They just don't understand Rika,' Renamon said to her partner telepathically, the yellow kitsune hidden among the people on the streets.

'Of course they don't, and it irritates me,' Rika thought back. 'They have to realize that this is not something to be taken lightly. Sooner or later, they'll have to kill a Digimon, and live with it if they want their families and friends to be safe.'

"Rika!" Jeri's voice broke off Rika's connection with Renamon, and the red-haired girl looked up to see her friend running up to her with Elecmon in tow.

"Jeri, did you find Ai and Mako?" Rika asked, removing her headphones.

"Yeah, they're with Kazu and Kenta," Jeri nodded. "I asked them to take them back to Sora's apartment. We need to talk about something important."

"What is it?" Rika asked, noticing the serious look on Jeri's face.

"They found Impmon."

"Impmon?!" Renamon gasped, appearing next to Rika. The yellow fox Digimon's face was one of surprise. "Where?"

"They haven't really found him truly, but they managed to pick up his signal in Aqua City," said Elecmon.

"Aqua City…" Rika repeated, looking out to the shopping district in the distance. Jeri looked over as well, but her eyes were on what was near Aqua City: The Fuji TV Station.

"He shouldn't have been that hard to find," said Renamon. "Impmon may be mischievous, but surely he knows better than to show himself in Aqua City carelessly."

"I don't think he's in Aqua City," Jeri said morosely as she turned to her red-haired friend. "Rika…do you remember what Starmon said yesterday?"

"Yeah, why…" Rika suddenly trailed off and a look of shock and sadness on her face appeared. "No…"

"Yes," Jeri said, her sadness matching Rika's. "If Impmon's signal appeared around Aqua City…"

"Then that means our suspicions were correct," said Rika, looking down. "But if it's true, how do we tell Ai and Mako?"

Jeri was quiet before she answered. "I don't know…" The two girls looked out over to the TV station again, thinking about what they had just realized.

* * *

"I haven't been here in a while," TK said as he stepped into the living room of the apartment Matt and his father lived in. He looked around to see the place surprisingly clean. "It looks better than it did the last time."

"Well, last time we hadn't met the Tamers yet," said Matt, "which meant Rika hadn't moved in yet."

"Yeah," Terriermon said from his place on Henry's shoulder. "Rika may not like dresses, but she's still a girl, so it's really no surprise she has some degree of cleanliness."

"That's true," Henry chuckled as he pulled out a seat and sat down. "All right TK, let's sit down and talk."

"Seriously?" TK asked, not sure if he wanted to have this talk.

"Yes, seriously," said Henry. "We need to talk."

"Come on bro," Matt said, sitting down next to Henry. "I'm sure you'll feel better if we talk." TK sighed, and he sat down in front of the two boys. Terriermon and Tsunomon walked over to the kitchen to find something to eat.

"So," Henry started, "about your little outburst in the computer lab…"

"I'm sorry," said TK. "I know it was wrong for me to threaten to kill Ken, and for me to lash out and fight with the others."

"Yeah, that's usually not like you TK," Matt said with a frown.

"That's true," TK said before chuckling lightly. "You're usually the one who gets into fights with the other Digidestined."

"He has a point!" Tsunomon called from the kitchen.

"You shut up!" Matt said annoyed, getting a chuckle from the horned furball and Terriermon. The older blond sighed before looking over to his brother again.

"I…I guess I was just so mad," the young blond boy said sadly. "Everything that has been going on since this all began had been eating away at me, building up in me slowly…and losing Patamon again was my breaking point."

"Sounds like you have anger problems," said Terriermon, walking out of the kitchen with a bag of chips in his tiny hands. "You keep all this anger inside of you for so long without finding a release, and when you get pushed too far, you lash out at the people around you and you say things you don't mean to say." TK and Matt were surprised at the usually wise-cracking Digimon's wise words, while Henry merely nodded.

"What makes you say that?" Matt asked skeptically.

(Play Digimon: Mirai)

"Because the same thing used to happen to me," said Henry, getting looks from the two brothers and Tsunomon. The blue-haired boy took a deep breath before delving into his story.

"When I was young, I was bullied often at school because I was half-Chinese and half-Japanese. My other siblings were often bullied as well, and it made me mad. I tried to ignore the taunts, but I was bottling up my anger, and it was only a matter of time before it exploded."

"And then one day, when I was seven and Suzie was four, one of the bullies began teasing me and Suzie. I was trying my best to ignore him, but he took it too far when he shoved Suzie to the ground. When that happened…I snapped and I beat him up badly."

"What happened?" TK asked in shock.

"I broke his arm, broke his nose and blackened both his eyes," Henry said, a sad look on his face as he thought back to that day. "It was something I regretted deeply. I worried for myself and others around me, for my anger possibly spilling over again. My dad noticed this so he took me to a friend of his who performed Tai Chi, and I began learning Tai Chi as a method of self-restraint. I also vowed to not get in fights if possible."

"Was that a reason why you didn't want me to fight so much when you first got me?" asked Terriermon.

"Yes," Henry nodded. "It wasn't just a fear of losing you, but also a fear that I could lose control of my emotions if we did get into a fight. But I later learned that some fights have to be fought, if you want to protect the ones you love." The blue-haired Tamer looked at TK in the eyes. "We're not so different TK. I remember you saying once you never wanted to fight ever."

TK stayed quiet, thinking back to when he said that. It was the first time he and Patamon met Elecmon in Primary Village. After a misunderstanding that saw Elecmon fight Patamon, thinking the duo of Hope were intruders, TK and Patamon befriended Elecmon, with the bearer of Hope stating he never wanted to fight. That was right before Patamon Digivolved to Angemon and died fighting Devimon, and event that changed TK's life forever. That day, along with the day they fought Piedmon, changed TK, and he realized he had to fight. But it also created a dark side to him, one that broke out whenever his anger over something was bottled up for too long.

It wasn't the first time this happened, as he remembered the day Yolei and Cody first went to the Digital World. He let his jealousy over Davis and Kari's friendship get the better of him and he changed the coordinates, leading to Davis being injured, and Kari being kidnapped. Even though Yolei and Cody were able to get their partners through TK's actions, it still didn't ease the pain he felt from what he did.

"That was so long ago," he finally said after a long silence. "These days, I still don't want to fight…but I have to. It's just, this whole thing with darkness…" TK's face went dark again, and Henry sighed.

"I know," said the blue-haired Tamer, "but you shouldn't be lashing out like this."

"TK, if you need to vent out your frustrations and your anger over something, then you should find some sort of outlet," said Matt, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Like what?" asked TK, looking up to his brother.

"Well, you should find a hobby that you can do whenever you're not in the Digital World or doing schoolwork," explained Matt. "I heard the school is holding basketball tryouts next week. I've seen you play and you're not that bad. Maybe playing basketball could help you out."

"And what if it doesn't?" TK asked doubtfully.

"Then I'd be willing to help you while we're here in your dimension," Henry said with a soft smile. "I can teach you what I know about Tai Chi and self-restraint whenever I can. It can definitely help you in battle." TK looked surprised at the boy's offer.

"You'd be willing to help me?"

"Of course," Henry held out his hand for TK to take. "If that is what you want, of course." TK looked down at Henry's extended hand, thinking about the offer for a minute before taking it.

"I think…that could help."

"Let's hope so," Terriermon muttered, getting narrowed looks from everybody.

"Well, if everything is settled, do you guys want to eat here?"

"Yeah, I am hungry," said Henry.

"Sure," said TK.

"All right then," Matt got out of his chair and walked over to the fridge, opening it and looking inside it. "I should let you know though, I'm not much of a cook, so don't expect much."

"Hey, as long as you're cooking it, it's fine," TK said with a smile that Matt returned, though the older brother's looked slightly evil.

"Then get ready."

"Should we be worried about what he's going to make?" Terriermon whispered to his Tamer, an uneasy look on his face upon seeing Matt's smirk.

"Probably…" Henry trailed off.

* * *

A half hour passed, and TK and Henry both felt like they were going to pass out from eating Matt's concoction, Tsunomon passing out and Terriermon looking more green than usual.

"Good grief!" said TK. "Is this what Dad eats all the time?!"

"No, I made that just for you and our guest!" Matt said with a chuckle. "You don't come by often."

"Can you at least lighten up on the wasabi next time?!" Henry asked, downing his fourth glass of water in five minutes. The front door suddenly opened, and Matt and TK's father walked in. Hiroaki Ishida looked haggard and worn out as he shuffled into the living room.

"Hi, Dad!" greeted TK.

"Oh, TK, you're here!" Hiroaki said, placing his jacket over his chair and sitting down with a sigh. His eyes went over to Henry. "Who's this?"

"My name is Henry Wong," the Tamer introduced himself. "I'm a friend of Rika's."

"Oh, no…" Hiroaki groaned. In the few weeks he had known Rika, he had become quite afraid of her, but had also taken a liking to her.

"Don't worry, he's nicer than Rika!" Terriermon said, climbing up on Henry's shoulder. "I'm Henry's partner, Terriermon!"

"Ah, you're like Gabumon and Patamon, then," Hiroaki nodded, looking around the apartment. "Where is Patamon?"

"Oh…well…" TK's face went down as he explained what happened, his father looking shocked.

"I see," Hiroaki said with a sympathetic sigh. "So I'm not the only one with problems right now…"

"What's wrong?" TK asked worriedly. "Is something happening at work?"

"Yeah, and it's brutal…"

"What, did another Digimon attack the station?" Matt joked with a smirk.

"Heh," Hiroaki chuckled dryly. "I wish that did happen…maybe then, I'd find out an answer to the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Henry asked, though he had a suspicion.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Well, my entire staff has been seeing a shadowed figure moving around; hell, I've been seeing it as well!"

"Shadowed figure?" asked TK. "What does it look like?"

"No idea," said Hiroaki. "A lot of us see it pass by us in the hallway in a flash, but when we turn back to see it, it's gone, just like that!"

"It could be someone playing with you," said Tsunomon.

"If it is a prank, then whoever's pulling it is a smart one." Picking up the nearby remote control, Hiroaki turned on the TV and the screen showed a black shadow, obscuring the yellow kanji that read TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE STAND BY. "At first, it started appearing only in the editing room when we're looking over footage that has been filmed, but when I was on my way home, I got a call saying it was appearing on the airwaves now! People are calling in, and they're not happy!"

"Well, the equipment could be a factor," Matt shrugged. "How old is it?"

"It's only a year old, as old as the new building," Hiroaki said, turning off the TV with a light glare. "It's been happening for the past few weeks, and we've come to the impossible conclusion…that the station is haunted by a ghost."

"A ghost?" TK asked, surprised that his father was being truthful.

"Please," Matt scoffed. "Like a ghost is haunting the TV station."

"You're just saying that because you've always been afraid of ghost stories," TK said teasingly.

"It's not that!" Matt said with a light glare, thought the quick reaction suggested otherwise. "Dad and the others at the station are probably just seeing things because they've been putting in too many hours and not enough sleep." The older blond looked down when he heard Terriermon and Tsunomon whisper to each other, looking at Matt with narrowed eyes, snickering at what they were saying.

"Hey! Stop whispering!" Matt yelled at the two Digimon. "I'm not scared of some ghost story!"

"Sure you aren't," Hiroaki laughed before pulling out a CD player. "I remember when you were six and your mother told you…"

"Don't…even!" Matt said, remembering that particular night. Matt had been unable to sleep for a week after being told that scary story by his mother.

"Where'd you get that?" asked TK, noticing the player.

"One of my workers Sakurada, he made a sutra for us. Since it's a ghost, he figured a sutra could help against it," Hiroaki said, putting in the earbuds. "At this point, I'm willing to do anything…"

"Ridiculous," Matt said, walking away from the table. "I'm going out."

"Hold up!" TK called after his brother, walking out with Tsunomon. Terriermon leaped on Henry's shoulder, noticing his Tamer was deep in thought.

"Hey Henry, are we going or what?" Henry blinked and shook his head a little.

"Oh…right! Nice meeting you, Mr. Ishida!"

"You too Henry," Hiroaki nodded before looking down at the food that was obviously made by Matt. Having skipped breakfast and lunch, and only having a few snacks due to the 'haunting', the middle-aged man was hungry. Pulling the plate towards him, Hiroaki scooped up some of the food with a spoon and swallowed it whole. Before he could take another bite, Hiroaki could feel his throat and tongue burning up.

"SPICY! TOO SPICY!"

* * *

"Okay, this is it…the moment of truth!" Chioka said, hunched over as he typed on the computer.

"Chioka, it's not going to work," the editor said with an annoyed huff. "No matter how many times you play the footage…"

"It has to work this time! Maybe the ghost is gone for good," Chioka insisted. In the last few hours, he had tried every trick in the book to get rid of the ghostly shadow, but nothing had worked so far. This was the last chance he had without repeating any tricks he had already done; if it didn't work.

Hitting the 'play' button, Chioka crossed his fingers as he watched the footage intently. The show played as it should have…until the shadow leapt across the screen.

"What the hell?!" the editor asked in frustration.

"Oh, what's the point?!" Chioka wailed, throwing his bandana off his head. "I'll never make it as a director, and it's because of some stupid ghost!" The door opened up, and a plump man with glasses and a boombox entered the room.

"Oh, Sakurada," Chioka greeted the man, another old worker of his. "What brings you here?"

"I heard this whole ghost thing has been stressing you out Chioka," Sakurada said, walking over and placing the boom box on the table. "So I thought this sutra could help you get rid of the ghost…and your stress."

Chioka let out a huff of breath. "At this rate, I'm willing to do anything. Hit it." Sakurada pressed the play button, and nothing came out. Ten seconds later, no sutra came out. Another twenty seconds later, and still no sutra.

"Okay, where's the sutra?" Chioka asked, his patient growing thin by the moment. "Do you even have a tape in there?"

"I do!" Sakurada insisted as he tapped on the speakers, baffled at the lack of a sutra. "And I just changed the batteries!"

Suddenly, a sound did come out of the boombox, but what came out of it was anything but relaxing. A hollow, whispering sound filled the room, uttering something in a broken voice.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Taiketsu)

"Ga…ga…to…A…ko…"

"Th…that's certainly a weird sutra…" the editor said with a nervous chuckle.

"Um…" Sakurada said nervously, "…it's not coming from the player…"

"What?!" Chioka gasped, shooting up from his chair. The three men looked around nervously as the voice continued speaking.

"Ga…mon…Ai…Ma…" The voice grew in volume by the second.

"Oh, my God…" Chioka said in horror. "We really are haunted! Ghosts are real!"

"Run for it!" the editor screamed, running out of the room with Chioka and Sakurada. The three men ran towards their director's office in panic, hoping he was there. To their relief, when they opened the door, Hiroaki Ishida was there, sitting down at his desk.

"Geez, I need to watch what Matt cooks…" Hiroaki muttered as he saw three of his workers run up to him, panic etched across their faces.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"A…a voice!" gasped Chioka. "There's a voice coming out of the editing room, and it's not from Sakurada's boombox or any of our tapes!"

"What?!" Hiroaki followed the three men into the editing room, where the voice was still speaking. It took the middle-aged man everything he had to not scream in terror.

* * *

Kari sighed as she put on her pink pajamas and climbed into bed, being mindful of the sleeping Gatomon. The brown-haired girl had been having difficulty sleeping the last few nights, still seeing the mysterious beach in her dreams and the massive figure in the waters. She could only wonder what the deal was with the dreams.

'I just wish I know what these dreams are about,' she thought, wondering if she should talk to Davis or Tai about this. But Davis already had enough on his plate concerning Ken and the Digital World, and she didn't want to worry him any further. It hurt her keeping her boyfriend in the dark, but she didn't want him to have any more stress right now in his life. And the same went with Tai. He had enough to deal with right now between school, the Digital World, and tending to Koromon after everything the poor Digimon went through the past few days. She didn't even know herself what these dreams were, so how could Tai and Davis help her if she didn't even know?

Yawning, the bearer of Light turned off the lights and lay down, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. As it started raining heavily and thunder rumbled and lightning flashed outside, Kari began feeling water fall on her face. She stirred, not wanting to wake up. She knew if she did, she would find herself on the beach again. She kept her eyes shut, but a clap of thunder caused the bearer of Light to open her eyes and shoot upwards, feeling the rain pounding on her.

Kari gasped in surprise when she noticed she was not on the beach, but on the rooftop of a building that gave her a view of Odaiba. Confused at the change of scenery in her dream tonight, Kari looked around to see where she was. When she turned to the left, she gasped when she saw a giant familiar sphere through the rain. She noticed immediately that she was on top of the Fuji TV Station, in the exact same spot where Wizardmon died protecting her and Gatomon from Myotismon.

'Why am I here?' she thought.

"Kari?!" The brown-haired girl gasped and whirled around, seeing her partner in front of her.

"Ga…Gatomon?! You're here in my dream as well?!"

"Your dream?" Gatomon asked, confused. "I thought this was my dream!" This confused Kari greatly.

"Wait…your dream?"

"Yes," Gatomon said sadly. "This is the dream I've been having the past few nights. I end up here, and I see…" The white cat looked up and gasped when she saw something behind her partner.

"Kari, behind you!" The brown-haired girl turned to where Gatomon was pointing, and gasped when she saw what, or rather who, stood in front of her.

Standing near the sphere was a figure nearly as tall as Kari, clad in red and yellow clothes with multiple zippers. He wore brown gloves and boots with crescent moons attached to the boots. He wore a violet cloak with strange symbols on the inside. A pointed hat, the same color as the cloak, sat on his straw-haired head, bearing a skull on the front. His face was hidden by his cloak, but his green eyes could be seen looking out in the distance, a saddened look to them.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuuyake ~Target Piano Version~)

"Wizardmon…" Kari whispered, seeing the Digimon that sacrificed his life for her again after four years. Wizardmon continued staring out at Odaiba in sadness as his head went down slightly.

"Wizardmon…" Kari whispered again, her heart clenching at the sight of seeing the sadness in Wizardmon's eyes. "What…is this?"

"It's the dream I've been having for a while now," Gatomon answered, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "Every night, I find myself here, where it happened, and I see Wizardmon right there, always looking out at Odaiba in sadness, and then…" Kari gasped as she saw Wizardmon turn to her, as if he was looking right at them, knowing they were watching them.

"Wi…Wizardmon?" Kari asked hesitantly, approaching the mage Digimon. "Can you…see us?" Wizardmon nodded, and Kari stepped back in surprise, Gatomon still looking morose. "What…what is this?" Wizardmon said nothing.

"Wizardmon…can't you speak?"

"He can't seem to speak," Gatomon said sadly. "I don't know why. All he can do is move his head, but say nothing…" Wizardmon continued staring at the duo of Light before his body began fading.

"Wait! Wizardmon, what's going on here?! Wizardmon!" Kari yelled to the fading Digimon, but Wizardmon remained silent as his body faded completely. The brown-haired girl and Gatomon could only stare in shock and sadness as they stared at the spot Wizardmon was moments ago.

"No!" Gatomon and Kari both yelled as they shot up awake, both breathing heavily and looking at each other with a look of understanding.

"I don't think that was just a dream," breathed Kari. "That seemed much too real."

"You're right," Gatomon said with lowered ears, deep in thought. "There's something off about this…and I'm worried about it." The duo of Light stayed awake a few seconds longer before drifting off to sleep again, their thoughts on Wizardmon.

* * *

Ai and Mako gasped when they woke up in the middle of the night to water falling on them from above. At first, they thought the apartment above them had sprung a leak in the kitchen or the bathroom, but when they looked around, they realized they were not in the apartment at all.

"Ai…we're back in Aqua City!" Mako said in surprise, recognizing the familiar area. The brown-haired boy then looked up to the darkened sky, which often lit up with lightning. "And it's raining hard!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kizuato)

"But how did we get back here to Aqua City?" Ai asked confusedly. "I don't remember getting out of bed."

"Maybe it's a dream," Mako suggested, making his twin sister look at him like he had grown two heads.

"A dream? Mako, how is it possible for you and me to have the same dream?"

"I don't know," said Mako. "But maybe there's a reason for it."

"What reason?" asked Ai. Mako raised an eyebrow and looked at Ai like she was stupid.

"Duh! Isn't it obvious? Impmon is still here in Aqua City, and maybe this dream is a message to us. He wants us to come back here!"

"You mean like, right now?"

"No, not right now," said Mako. "It's late at night, plus we could get sick in the rain. We'll have to come back here tomorrow."

"Okay…" Ai said, looking around the shopping district, hoping to see a sign of Impmon. "Do you think Impmon will be all right?"

"I'm sure he will be," said Mako, looking up to the Fuji TV station before looking to Ai again. "So…how do we wake up if this is a dream?"

"Ooh, I know!" Ai walked over to Mako and pinched his arm.

"OW!" Mako yelled, awaking and shooting upwards, seeing himself back in the guest room of Sora's apartment with his sister. Ai shot awake moments later and her twin brother glared at her.

"Did you really have to pinch me?"

"Well, they say it's a good way to wake someone up from a dream," Ai said with a chuckle.

"Well, I'd certainly like to meet 'them'," Mako grumbled before drifting back to sleep with Ai, both twins determined to find Impmon tomorrow.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Tanoshii Hougako)

Davis woke up the next morning, yawning as he stretched his arms in the air before swinging his legs around and standing up from bed. Walking over to his dresser to change, Davis stole a glance at his clock to see the time, but saw nothing.

"What the…" Davis blinked and looked over his clock before going over to his computer and lamp. He tried to turn them both on, but was met with no success.

"Davis?" DemiVeemon asked, waking up to see Davis fiddling with the computer. "What's wrong?"

"I think the power went out during last night's storm," Davis said, looking outside to see the sky was still dark. "I just hope I'm not late for school."

"There's no school today," Ryo said as he walked into the bedroom with Hopmon in his arms. "The storm caused a blackout throughout all of Tokyo."

"Damn…does that mean we can't go to the Digital World today?" Davis asked, his voice between angry and worried.

"Not until they restore the power," Ryo said with a shake of his head. "We could use Izzy's computer, but it could run out of battery power while we're in the Digital World, and the power may not come back on."

"Let's just hope Ken doesn't do much damage today," Davis said, looking out in the sky. "But what can we do today?"

"Well, we can call up everybody for a meeting and think about what to do when we go back to the Digital World," suggested DemiVeemon.

"That's not a bad idea," said Hopmon. "We come up with a plan, and it will help us when we have to fight MagnaAngemon."

"Yeah, but will you be fit for battle Hopmon?" DemiVeemon asked the purple dragon. "You took a nasty hit yesterday from that sword."

"I'm fine," Hopmon insisted, shifting in Ryo's arms. "De-Digivolving healed me up a little. Give it another day, and I'll be ready to fight again."

"Well, take it easy," Ryo insisted to his partner. The brown-haired boy was worried about what would happen to his partner the next time they fought Ken, especially if Ken and Cyberdramon made physical contact with each other because of Millenniummon's data inside both of them.

"I'll send the message to everybody." Davis grabbed his D-Terminal off his bedside table and typed a message to all the Digidestined, pressing the send button.

* * *

Kari dressed quickly, a hard look in her eyes as she changed out of her pajamas. Since there was no school today because of the blackout, the child of Light and Gatomon has decided to use it as an opportunity to look into what they saw last night in their shared dream.

"Ready?" Gatomon asked once Kari slipped into her socks. The brown-haired girl nodded and picked up Gatomon. As she grabbed her D-3 and D-Terminal, the latter went off with a beep, indicating a sent message. Kari opened the D-Terminal and saw the message was from Davis that read 'Meeting in the park.' The bearer of Light looked at the message before sighing and sending a message back.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

'Sorry Davis. I can't make it. Something's come up for me and Gatomon to look into.' Sending the message, Kari walked out of her bedroom and went over to the entrance, slipping on her shoes.

"Kari, are you going to the meeting already?" Kari looked up to see Tai and Takato sitting at the table with Koromon and Guilmon, eating breakfast. "You haven't had breakfast yet."

"I'm not hungry," said Kari. "And I'm not going to the meeting."

"What?!" Takato was surprised at Kari's answer. "Why not?"

"Something's…come up, and Gatomon and I want…no, need…to check it out," she said before leaving the apartment.

"Kari…" Tai's rebuttal was cut off with the door closing. The older goggled boy could only look at the closed door in confusion. What was so important to Kari that she refused to go to a Digidestined meeting? It just wasn't like his sister at all. As much as Tai wanted to go to the meeting, he felt like whatever was bugging his sister was more important. Takato looked up and saw the look on Tai's face, knowing what he was thinking.

"We should follow her," he said, getting looks from Tai, Koromon and Guilmon.

"Takato, isn't that rude?" asked Guilmon, mouth full with toast and peanut butter.

"Maybe," said Tai, "but something seems off with Kari today…and I want to know what it is." Grabbing his D-Terminal, Tai sent a message to Davis telling him that he wouldn't make it today as well.

"I'm coming as well," said Takato, standing up with Guilmon. "It looks like something serious."

"Something from the show?" asked Tai.

"Probably," said Takato, "but we won't know for sure until we follow them. Let's go." Tai nodded and ran out the apartment with Koromon in his arms, and Takato and a disguised Guilmon following him. It didn't take long for the two goggled boys to see Kari and Gatomon heading down the street, and they followed at a considerable distance so she couldn't see them, and so they wouldn't lose sight of her.

* * *

Elsewhere in Odaiba, Ai and Mako were walking down the street with Sora, their D-Ark held out in Ai's hand, still looking for Impmon. Sora had left her D-Terminal at home, so she didn't get Davis's message.

"So you're saying Impmon is in Aqua City?" Sora asked as she held Biyomon in her arms.

"Definitely," Mako said, a big smile on his face. "We may not have found him yesterday, but I can tell we'll find him today!"

"Yeah! We will!" Ai said, her smile matching Mako's. Sora couldn't help but chuckle at the twins' confidence, as she hoped as well that Ai and Mako could find their partner today.

* * *

Jeri exhaled some air as she approached the Takenouchi apartment with Rika, Renamon and Elecmon. After discussing it with Rika last night, Jeri had decided to tell Rika what they knew about Impmon. The two Tamers had left early, which meant Mimi and Matt were unable to tell them about Davis's message.

"I don't know if they're going to like this," the brown-haired girl said truthfully as she pressed the doorbell, a frown on her face. Rika's face held the same expression.

"They're not going to like it very much," said Rika, "but they have to know." Renamon and Elecmon nodded, both feeling the same sentiment. A few seconds passed, and the door opened to reveal Sora's mother dressed in pajamas and a dressing gown.

"Oh, hello Jeri, Rika," Toshiko greeted the two girls.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mrs. Takenouchi, but we were wondering if we could see Sora, Ai and Mako…if they're awake."

"They are awake, but I'm afraid you just missed them," answered Toshiko. "Ai and Mako wanted to go to Aqua City so they could find their Digimon, and Sora and Biyomon went with them."

"Oh…" Jeri said, looking disheartened.

"Is something the matter?" Toshiko asked worriedly.

"No…it's fine, Mrs. Takenouchi. We'll see them in Aqua City, then," Rika said, turning around and walking down the stairs. Jeri followed with Elecmon riding on her back, and Renamon leaping off the staircase and landing gracefully on the bottom floor.

"Ai and Mako have probably gone back to Aqua City so they can continue their search for Impmon!" Elecmon said, knowing the situation immediately.

"They're going to be in for a disappointment," Rika said sadly, Jeri echoing the same thought as well. Overhead, thunder rumbled, a sign of another impending storm.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito 2)

Davis frowned slightly as he looked at the assembled Digidestined and Tamers. Not only did Kari send him a message saying she couldn't make it for reasons she didn't explain, but Tai also sent him a message saying that he and Takato would be following Kari, wondering what she was doing. Sora hadn't shown up yet with Ai and Mako, and from what Matt and Mimi told him, Rika and Jeri had left before they received the message. Fortunately, everybody else had arrived, but this wasn't good enough for Davis and Ryo, who were hoping for everybody to show up.

"So…this is everybody," Yolei said, looking at the assembled children.

"Everybody who did show up," said Matt. "Where's Tai?"

"I got a message from him and Kari," said Davis. "Apparently, Kari said something came up that she needed to look into, but she didn't exactly tell me what it was. Tai and Takato were suspicious, so they're following her to see what it is."

"What about Ai and Mako?" asked Izzy.

"Probably looking for Impmon," said Kazu. "They found his signal in Aqua City yesterday, but we couldn't find him. They're probably back there looking for Impmon."

"And Sora may have gone with them," said Kenta. "Plus, given Rika and Jeri's recent activity, they're probably helping out with the search for Impmon as well."

Davis sighed. "You know, I called this meeting so we could discuss what to do tomorrow when we go into the Digital World. Because of this blackout, we won't be able to go today."

"And there's no telling what Ken will do," TK said, a small dark look on his face. "With Patamon…"

"He's right," said Henry. "MagnaAngemon may be an Ultimate level Digimon, but he's powerful enough to hold his own against Mega level Digimon. We need a good plan if we want to defeat him."

"Izzy, any suggestions?" asked Mimi.

"I don't know," said Izzy. "If Tai and Takato were here, then this would make planning easier."

"And Rika as well," said Henry. "She can come with some strategies that we can't."

"Well, in that case, let's find our missing teammates and then start this meeting," said Davis. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"And while we're at it, maybe we can find someplace indoors to hold the meeting?" Joe asked, looking up at the sky. "It looks like it might start storming again."

"We can use the warehouse that my band practices at," suggested Matt. "We have a generator in case of a blackout, and a fridge full of snacks."

"All right," said everybody.

"Um, before we break off…" TK said, getting looks from everybody. "I…I want to apologize for my outburst yesterday after Patamon was captured. I lashed out in anger, and…I said some things I shouldn't have said. I guess I just have some anger problems, especially if darkness is involved. I'm sorry for what I said and did yesterday…and I'm hoping it doesn't happen again."

"It's all right TK," Ryo said, smiling lightly at the blond-haired boy. "You just have to get it under control."

"I'll try, I'll try," said TK. "Henry offered to help me, and I took it." Henry nodded with a smile of his own.

Thunder suddenly boomed loudly, startling everybody.

"Ah!" Suzie yelled, holding her hands over her ears. "So loud!" Lightning suddenly flashed, and it struck the TV station, electricity arcing over it.

"The TV station!" gasped Palmon.

"Dad!" Matt and TK gasped, running to the TV station, the Digidestined and Tamers following after them.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Sousa)

"What was that?!" Mimi yelled. "Does lightning do that whenever it strikes something?"

"No," said Izzy. "That doesn't seem natural."

"So what does it mean?" asked Tentomon.

"It can only mean one thing: a Digimon," Henry answered, his suspicions from last night resurfacing.

"A Digimon in the human world?!" asked Poromon. "Is that possible?!"

"You tell me!" Terriermon said, flying next to Poromon. "We're Digimon, and we're in the human world!"

"Did something like this happen in the TV show?!" Matt asked the Tamers.

"Yeah, but not this soon!" answered Kazu, looking up at the TV station with confusion.

* * *

"Gatomon, you saw that, right?!" Kari asked in shock, seeing the lightning strike the TV station.

"I did," Gatomon said, her ears swiveling back. "Let's step on it!" Kari nodded, and began sprinting for the TV station with Gatomon by her side.

* * *

"Why are they heading for the TV station?" Tai asked, seeing his sister run for the station in confusion while Takato watched with realization coming to him.

"Wizardmon!"

"What?!" Tai and Koromon asked in surprise upon hearing the familiar name utter from Takato's mouth.

"Wizardmon's ghost," Takato explained. "Because Wizardmon died in the human world, he was never able to be reborn. He's been stuck here as a ghost at the TV station for the last four years. This must be what Kari and Gatomon were looking into."

"Did this…"

"Yes, it did happen," Takato answered, knowing what Koromon was going to ask. "But it didn't happen until August 3rd. I wonder why it's happening now."

"Well, we won't know if we stand here," said Tai, determined to help out his sister if this did involve Wizardmon. "Come on!" Takato and Guilmon followed after the duo of Courage, as several blocks down at Aqua City, Sora and the twins gasped when they saw the lightning strike the TV station.

"What was that?!" Ai asked in surprise.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Sora said worriedly.

"Sora! Ai! Mako!" The bearer of Love and the twin Tamers turned to see Rika and Jeri running towards them.

"Jeri! Rika!" said Ai. "We're close to finding Impmon!"

"Well, we may know where he is," Rika said, pointing to the TV station, which Sora looked at in confusion.

"Wait…Impmon is at the TV station?"

"Did Impmon do that?" asked Mako, referring to the lightning strike.

"No, I don't think so," said Jeri, looking at the station with sad eyes. "Let's go!" Jeri and Rika ran for the station with Sora, Biyomon, Ai and Mako running behind, confused from Rika and Jeri's actions.

As the children ran for the TV station, a woman wearing a black shirt and skirt with brown leggings and short brown hair watched from a distance. Her pale green eyes were on the children, but especially on Elecmon and Biyomon, and the eyes widened with shock.

'The Digimon...' she thought. 'They're back...but why?' She turned away and walked to a black van, pulling out a badge with her name on it: Maki Himekawa. Whatever this was, she would have to report it to her superior.

* * *

The Fuji TV Station had a backup generator, so the power was still on even after the thunderstorm last night knocked out power in the surrounding areas. However, when the lightning struck it, the generator died. The moment the lights went out, the employees began running for the exits in blind panic. Hiroaki was the only one not running as he was trying to establish some peace among the chaos.

"Everybody, calm down! What's wrong?!"

"It's the ghost!" Chioka yelled as he passed by. "It's coming out of the screens!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Akumu)

"What?!" Looking at a nearby screen, Hiroaki gasped when he saw the black shadow ooze its way out of the screen and sped along the floor and up the walls past him. Swallowing whatever terror was building up in him, Hiroaki began chasing after the shadow, intent on investigating it. He was the head of this station, after all.

* * *

"Woah! Hey!" Tai shouted as a screaming woman almost knocked him over. Numerous people tore out of the station in terror.

"Takato, I smell a Digimon up there!" Guilmon growled. "It's faint, though…"

"It has to be Wizardmon," said Takato. Tai looked around the chaos and saw a young girl he recognized instantly.

"Kari!" The bearer of Courage fought his way through the storming adults and made it into the TV station. Guilmon and Takato followed as well, none of the screaming adults noticing the large red reptile.

"Come on, I think I know where they're going!" Takato said, running up the stairs that led to a certain room that Kari and Gatomon were already heading for.

* * *

"Come on…where are you?!" Hiroaki asked, looking for the shadowed figure.

"Dad!" Hiroaki stopped short and turned to see his sons coming towards him, their friends close behind.

"Matt! TK! What are you doing here?!"

"We saw the lightning strike and we wanted to see if you're all right!" said TK.

"I'm fine," insisted the older man, "and everybody else has run out. It's the ghost from earlier! He's floating around this place!"

"It's not just any ghost, it's the ghost of a Digimon!" said Kazu, getting shocked looks from the Digidestined.

"Is that true?!" asked Matt.

"He's not lying," said Ryo. "The ghost is in the director's room!"

"That's where…!" TK gasped, realizing what Ryo was talking about. The Legendary Tamer nodded and turned to Hiroaki.

"Can you take us to the director's room?"

"This way!" Hiroaki said, leading the children to the room.

* * *

On a lower level, Ai and Mako looked at their D-Ark, the arrow aimed in one direction, indicating Impmon's current location.

"He must be up higher!" said Sora. "Let's go!"

"It really is him…" Renamon muttered in disbelief.

* * *

"Finally! We made it!" Gatomon gasped once she reached the familiar room with Kari. The duo of Light looked up to see the black shadow flying in circles on the domed ceiling.

"Kari!" The brown-haired girl turned to see her brother, Koromon, Takato and Guilmon standing in front of one of the entrances.

"Tai…it's Wizardmon!" Kari said, pointing up to the shadow.

"I know," Tai nodded, looking up at the spinning shadow, which spoke in a broken tone.

"Ga…mon…ko…Ai…to…Ma.."

"He must be trying to say Gatomon's name!" gasped Koromon.

"I heard him say something else," said Guilmon, his ears twitching. "He also said Ai…ko…Ma…"

"Aiko Ma?" asked Takato, confused as Hiroaki ran into the director's room with the other Digidestined and Tamers. They stopped short when they saw Gatomon standing in the center of the room.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Wizardmon! Stop! I'm right here!" Gatomon pleaded to the wailing spirit, eliciting gasps from Matt, TK, Mimi, Joe and Izzy.

"That's it! If it's a Digimon, then let me at him!" Upamon yelled, jumping out of Cody's arms as Poromon flew out of Yolei's arms. The D-3s flashed and Hawkmon and Armadillomon stood ready for a fight.

"What the…you guys can Digivolve in the Human World as well?!" Yolei asked in surprise.

"Duh! Of course they can!" Kazu said before looking up at the spinning black shadow, still speaking distorted words: "A…i…M…ako…Ga…to…"

"Aimakogato?" asked Terriermon. "What kind of name is that?"

"It sounds like he's trying to say Gatomon's name," said Lopmon. "And it sounds like he's saying Ai and Mako…" This confused the Tamers a bit.

"Why would Wizardmon be saying Ai and Mako's names with…Gatomon's…" Henry asked but trailed off when he looked up at Wizardmon's black form, which still spoke Gatomon's name distortedly, along with Ai and Mako's names. Suddenly it dawned on Henry: Impmon's signal appearing in Aqua City, Wizardmon's ghost saying Ai and Mako's names…this was no coincidence.

"It can't be…" Henry whispered in shock.

"Wizardmon!" Gatomon called again. "Please stop this! I'm right here!"

"So am I!" called Kari, joining her partner in the center of the room.

"Kari, get away!" Hawkmon yelled, advancing to the two with Armadillomon.

"Stop!" Monodramon said, Digivolving from Hopmon and landing in front of them with Veemon, Agumon and Gabumon, who had also Digivolved from their In-Training levels. "This Digimon is not an enemy!"

"Wizardmon! We're here!" Kari called out again. The black shadow slowly stopped its spinning before floating on the ceiling, its white eyes set on Kari and Gatomon before dropping down to the floor and snaking its way towards the duo of Light until it was right in front of them.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanshou)

"Wizardmon…" Gatomon repeated softly. Slowly, the black figure rose out of the ground, revealing a familiar Digimon to everybody.

"Gatomon…Kari…" Wizardmon said in a hollow, sad voice. "You…you actually came…"

"Did you honestly think we were going to ignore that dream we had last night?" asked Gatomon. "You looked like you were suffering…"

"I have been, my friend," Wizardmon said, looking downcast. "For four years, I have been here, plagued with memories of my past, unable to be reborn because of where I died…" The tone in the mage's voice sounded bitter and sad, and it made everybody's hearts ache for Wizardmon.

"What do you mean by, memories of your past?" asked Kari. "Are you talking about when you were still alive and with Gatomon and us?"

"Not those memories," Wizardmon said, looking off to the crowd before him. "I'm talking about memories from my past life…memories I lost…and regained when I died…"

Henry stepped forward a little, looking at Wizardmon with a rather defeated look.

"It is you, isn't it?" Wizardmon merely nodded to Henry's question, and the blue-haired boy could only look on in sadness.

"Huh?" Gatomon asked as she looked to her old friend. "Wizardmon, what did Henry mean by that?" Wizardmon looked at Gatomon with a torn look. Before he could answer…

"The signal's at its strongest here!" Everybody turned their heads to see Ai and Mako burst into the room with Jeri, Rika, Elecmon and Renamon at their heels, Sora and Biyomon close behind. When the newcomers looked up and saw Wizardmon's ghost, they gasped in surprise.

"Wizardmon!" Biyomon and Sora breathed. Jeri and Rika looked at each other with looks of knowing, and Renamon did the same with Elecmon. Ai and Mako held up the D-Ark together and noticed the arrow was pointing into the center of the room where Wizardmon is.

"It says that he's in the room…" Ai looked around. "But where is he?"

"He's right there," said Renamon, walking past everybody before she joined Kari and Gatomon in the center of the room. Wizardmon continued looking down, avoiding everybody's gaze. Renamon stared at the apparition before speaking.

"Hello…Impmon." With the exception of Henry, Jeri and Rika, the rest of the Tamers gasped in shock upon hearing Renamon.

"Wait…that's…Impmon?!" Mako asked in complete disbelief. "I thought he Digivolved to Beelzemon…"

"That's his Mega form," Elecmon said to the boy. "This…is his Champion level."

"What's going on here?!" Tai asked in complete confusion.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rika asked, though she didn't carry any of her sass or sarcasm when she spoke, but a sadness. "Wizardmon, Gatomon's oldest friend, is Ai and Mako's partner Impmon in the Champion level." The Digidestined could only stare in shock as Wizardmon continued looking down, masking his expression from everybody.

"Wizardmon…is this true?" asked Gatomon, surprised as everybody else from the revelation. Wizardmon remained silent before Renamon spoke again.

"Impmon…say something."

(Play Omoi: The Biggest Dreamer)

"Damn you, fox face…" Wizardmon muttered angrily, looking back up. "You always could recognize me instantly."

"Impmon…if this is you…then why are you like this?" asked Ai. "Why do you look like a ghost?"

"Because this is what happens if a Digimon in this dimension dies in the Human World. Their data remains stuck here in this Human World…unable to be reborn…"

"You said you lost some memories," said Jeri. "Are you saying you lost your memories of Ai, Mako and the rest of us Tamers when you came to this dimension and Elecmon's data was separated from you?"

"Yes," Wizardmon said sadly. "And I regained them when I died. It has frustrated me greatly, knowing I could never fully return to life. I never regretted dying to save a Digimon who was a true friend to me…" he turned to Gatomon before looking out the window. "But I regret to this day breaking the promise I made to my Tamers about never leaving them again. I'm sorry Ai…Mako…I'm sorry for being the worst Digimon partner you could ask for…"

"Impmon…" Ai and Mako said sadly.

"Is there a reason why you've been haunting the TV station as of late?" asked Hiroaki. "We've been having trouble working because of you."

"Well, excuse me for that!" Wizardmon snapped suddenly. "Do you have any idea how badly this has been affecting me?! I spent four years here, stuck with the miserable knowledge that I could never return to my own dimension and be with my partners again! And they finally come here, and it's just as bad…because I can not be reborn and help them…and even then, what kind of a partner could I be? After everything I've done…" The mage Digimon's anger faded and he looked down at the ground again in sadness. "Everything in my past…haunting me…"

"Wizardmon, what do you mean?" asked Gatomon.

"I have done things in my home dimension Gatomon…terrible things that would put me in the same class with Digimon like Myotismon," Wizardmon answered sadly. "And they greatly outweigh all the good I have done."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ai. "The other Tamers said you did bad things, but they couldn't have been that bad."

"You have no idea, Ai," said Wizardmon. "They didn't tell you the whole truth, didn't they?"

"They're young, Impmon," said Renamon. "They wouldn't be able to handle the truth well."

"They may be young, but they are still Digimon Tamers," said Wizardmon. "They have a right to know, as do Gatomon and the Digidestined." He raised his hand in the air, and the room became white.

"What is this?" asked Tai.

"This…is my past…" Wizardmon said before images of Wizardmon's past was revealed before everybody.

* * *

(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)

The first memory showed Ai and Mako two years younger arguing over a broken toy, and a small purple Digimon named Impmon, who wore red gloves and a matching bandana, with a yellow smiley face on his chest, was stuck in the middle.

"Impmon, Mako broke my toy! Punish him!"

"Ai's lying! She's the one who broke it!"

"That's a dirty lie!" The twins each grabbed an arm and began pulling on Impmon like he was a wishbone. The devil Digimon was clearly in pain from having his arms pulled, and was equally surprised at how strong these two small humans were. Eventually, he couldn't take the pain much longer.

"KNOCK IT OFF! IT HURTS!" he yelled loudly, making Ai and Mako release him in shock. Impmon glared at the two humans before storming out of the room in anger.

Later that night, Impmon watched the two humans sleep, a look of disgust on his face.

"Humans are such selfish creatures…to be kept by them…I'll never accept that!" Impmon muttered before leaping out of the window, starting a new life in Shinjuku. As time went on, Impmon saw three more Digimon become partnered to humans much to his shock and annoyance, and a fourth Digimon greatly annoyed him with his constant wanting to play.

"You piss me off!" Impmon said to Calumon on a building roof. "You love being around humans, always smiling and with your 'let's play! Let's play!' If you're a real Digimon, then fight me! Load my data and Digivolve! You don't need a pathetic human for that!"

* * *

The memories shifted and Impmon was standing in front of Indramon, a horse-like Digimon that was laughing down at the little Digimon.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"Why shouldn't I?" asked Indramon. "After all, you're just like those other Digimon. Kept by a human. And yet, you're the only one unable to Digivolve."

"Don't act all mighty to me, you moron!" yelled Impmon. "I don't need a human to Digivolve! I don't even need to Digivolve to be strong!" Rika and Renamon then entered the scene, and Indramon vanished, Impmon storming off in anger, telling the two that he could have taken on Indramon by himself.

* * *

The memories shifted again, and showed Impmon terrorizing a busy section of Shinjuku, leading to the cops being called in, thinking the little Digimon was a human in a costume. Fortunately, Renamon saved Impmon from the cops and asking why he obsessed with power from inside the structure of a bridge.

"You weaklings can't even Digivolve without your pathetic little humans around!"

"Are you saying you can Digivolve without a partner? I believe it is decided by how a Digimon and their human partner fight alongside one another."

"Shut up! Even if I left those pathetic humans…even if I can't Digivolve…I'll become the strongest Digimon to ever live!"

"Wait a minute…" Renamon gasped. "Are you saying you had a partner before?" Impmon froze when he realized what he said before socking the yellow fox in the face, making her release him.

"Shut up about that! I want to become stronger! I want to Digivolve! I don't need a partner…" Impmon wailed, slamming his fists on the floor. Moments later, Indramon returned, and Impmon insisted on fighting him himself, refusing assistance from Renamon, Guilmon and Terriermon.

"You are no match for me!" Indramon boasted. The Ultimate level raised his hoof-like arms and relentlessly pounded the small Rookie Digimon, but Impmon stood back up from every punch.

"We have to help him!" said Henry.

"No!" Renamon turned to the others. "This is Impmon's fight…and we must not get in the way."

"Are you sure about this?" Rika asked worriedly, but Renamon remained silent, watching the fight with a stoic expression.

The fight continued, and the beatings became worse for Impmon every time he mocked Indramom. But the small devil refused to back down, despite being trashed about, and his attacks having no effect on the more powerful Digimon.

"Do you think…I'll die easily?!" asked Impmon. "I'll beat you…I'll load you…and then I'll Digivolve!" The purple Digimon leapt up with incredible athleticism and landed punch after punch on Indramon's massive face, but the horse Digimon was barely affected by the small strikes.

"Begone, you annoyance," Indramon raised his massive hoof and smacked Impmon, sending him flying away from the battlefield and crashing in the distance.

* * *

A short while later, Impmon had taken up refuge in the sewers, wallowing in his defeat. A white portal suddenly appeared before him, and a distorted voice came from it.

"Are you telling me…to go back? Is that…the only place…I can go?" Impmon asked the voice, limping into the portal and finding himself in a white void.

* * *

A short while later in the void, a dog-like Digimon named Caturamon approached Impmon, making him an offer from the Sovereign Zhuqiaomon for greater power while showing him Ai and Mako fighting over a new pet dog, convincing him that they no longer cared about him.

"The human world has no place for you, Impmon," spoke the dog. "A Digimon must not devote himself to such selfish scum. They can never change! They can never provide you strength to Digivolve! But our god…he can provide you the power! We Digimon can only be devoted to ourselves!"

"I…I want more power…!" Impmon cried out, looking down at the ground while on his hands and knees. "I want to Digivolve!"

"Then accept the bargain our god wishes to make with you," said Caturamon. "He can see raw, untapped potential in you Impmon…you have the ability to Digivolve to a Digimon of great strength!"

"Can that happen?" Impmon asked, looking up at Caturamon. Though the dog Digimon's face was set in a smirk, Impmon could have sworn the smirk grew a little bigger.

"Of course," said Caturamon. "But you must make a deal first. If you agree to kill the Digimon that have betrayed us and become partners to humans, as well the humans themselves, then our god will give you the power to Digivolve straight to your Mega level, the highest form of Digivolution!"

"You mean…Guilmon and the others?" Impmon asked in surprise. "That's the deal?!" Caturamon said nothing as he continued looking down at Impmon. The purple Digimon looked down to the ground again, torn between this decision.

"Damn it all…" the purple Digimon muttered, looking up at the dog Digimon again. "If it's to Digivolve and become stronger…then I'll do anything! I'll make the deal with your god!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Mephismon Fukkatsu)

"The deal is made!" Caturamon howled, leaping into the air as the ground underneath Impmon dissolved, and the small devil Digimon fell into a river of lava. Zhuqiaomon's silhouette appeared as Impmon screamed in pain from the power being giving to him. He felt himself change form, becoming a tall humanoid Digimon with a tail, three red eyes poking out of a purple helmet, and clad in black leather clothing with two shotguns. A motorcycle landed in the lava river, and the Digimon claimed it as his own. Bursting out of the lava and into the Digital World, the Mega level Digimon drove off, announcing his new name.

"My name is…Beelzemon!" Beelzemon drove throughout the Digital World, blasting Digimon with his Double Impact while slashing at others with his Darkness Claw, loading their data before he came upon the Tamers.

"Impmon…" Kyubimon breathed, recognizing the Digimon.

"Impmon, huh?" Beelzemon chuckled. "That loser's gone. I'm Beelzemon now, and the reason why I'm here…" he pulled out his guns and aimed them at the Tamers, "…is to kill you!" A storm began rising up in the Digital World, and Rika Digivolved Kyubimon to Taomon, the Taoist Digimon producing a force field to protect everybody from Beelzemon. The storm, and the field, forced the demon lord Digimon to retreat.

"I'll come back for you!" he shouted before the memory faded to a red landscape. A large castle stood in the distance, and Beelzemon was tearing through the Tamers, knocking down Growlmon and Guardromon, blasting a chunk of armor from Rapidmon, and relentlessly kicking and punching Kyubimon.

"Impmon…please!" Kyubimon pleaded with the Mega level. "Open your eyes!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Beelzemon shrieked, raising his claws to finish off the yellow fox, but Leomon stepped in and held back Beelzemon's arm.

"I don't know the circumstances, but you're just being used by someone!" Leomon growled, punching Beelzemon in the face. "You're only making a fool out of yourself. Power has nothing to do with Digivolution. I have learned that myself." Leomon stole a glance Jeri's way before looking back at the demon lord. "Killing these children is not your destiny!"

"SHUT UP!" Beelzemon roared, driving his claws through Leomon's chest. The lion man could only roar in pain as he fell on his back and the Tamers watched in shock, tears streaming down Jeri's face as she shut down, not responding to anyone or anything as Beelzemon loaded Leomon's data.

"I'll load the strongest until nobody can stop me! NOBODY!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"How…HOW COULD YOU?!" Takato screamed in blind anger as he raised his D-Ark in the air. "DIGIVOLVE TO MEGA LEVEL! KILL HIM!" Growlmon roared as he became WarGrowlmon, and then in a swirl of flames, he became Megidramon, a giant, vicious dragon that roared as he charged for Beelzemon, the symbol on his chest flashing as the area around them began breaking apart.

Megidramon lashed out with his tail, wrapping it around Beelzemon and holding him up to his mouth. It took all of Beelzemon's strength to hold the vicious dragon's mouth open. As this happened, Makuramon, a monkey-like Digimon who was a Deva, showed up before Beelzemon.

"What are you doing?! If you continue this fight, everything in this world will be destroyed! I can't believe Caturamon decided to persuade our god to give a weakling like you the strength to Digivolve! You're supposed to be a demon lord!"

"SHUT UP!" Beelzemon stretched out and grabbed Makuramon's head, squeezing it until a crunching sound was heard. Makuramon's body went limp before it burst into data that went into Beelzemon's body. Taomon and Rapidmon attempted to stop the fight, but Beelzemon used Makuramon's own attack on them, absorbing their Ultimate level data and reverting them to Renamon and Terriermon. Using his new strength, Beelzemon broke free from Megidramon and kicked him in the chest, breaking his armor to pieces and knocking him unconscious. Breathing heavily, Beelzemon threw his head back and released a sound that crossed between laughter and pained yells.

"I WON! I AM THE STRONGEST DIGIMON! NOBODY CAN COMPARE TO ME!"

* * *

The memory shifted again and Beelzemon was still in the red area, but he was now engaged in a fierce battle with Guilmon's true Mega level, a Royal Knight called Gallantmon, who was clad in white armor and a red cape, and was armed with a powerful lance and shield. Even when he loaded Caturamon's data, Beelzemon was no match for Gallantmon, who ultimately defeated the demon lord after a quick assistance from Guardromon.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"I…I actually lost?" Beelzemon asked in disbelief as Gallantmon raised his lance in the air. The demon lord sighed in defeat. "Fine then…kill me and load my data…"

"You pay for your crimes today, Beelzemon!" said the white knight. "With one strike, I shall send you to Hell!"

"STOP IT!" Jeri screamed, distracting Gallantmon and causing his lance to strike the ground next to Beelzemon.

"Why…" Beelzemon asked in confusion, standing up and looking at Jeri, the young girl devastated at the events that had happened. "Why did you spare me? After what I did to your partner…I thought you'd be pleased that I would die!"

"You think I'd take joy in a life being taken, no matter how horrible someone is?!" Jeri sobbed. "Even if we killed you…it wouldn't bring back Leomon. I don't want to feel this sadness again! Stop fighting already…please…"

"Jeri…" Gallantmon said in sadness. Beelzemon stood in confusion and wonderment, as if thinking about everything in his life that had led to this before walking off.

* * *

The memory shifted again, and Beelzemon was now in a desert area, surrounded by multiple small purple Digimon with sharp tentacles. His mind was filled with Jeri's sad face, and it all came crashing down on him. The power…the chaos…what did it accomplish for him? It only made him a monster to those who considered him their friend.

"Take back the power!" he yelled as the Digimon leaped on him and attacked him with their tentacles, and the demon lord let them attack him. "I don't need it anymore!" The attacking Digimon soon left, leaving a beaten Impmon lying on the ground, his red bandana flying off his neck.

Impmon groaned as he pulled himself through the desert with his arms, looking up when he heard a familiar voice call out his name, and a familiar figure ran towards him.

"Renamon…?" The yellow fox landed in front of him, placing Rika down on the ground.

"Impmon, can you stand up?" Renamon bent down and offered her hand to Impmon.

"Of course I can!" Impmon groaned, pushing away Renamon's hand and standing up with whatever strength he had.

"Come on," said Rika. "We're going home…and we're taking you with us."

"Are you a moron?" Impmon asked incredulously. Rika said nothing as she walked over to Impmon and pulled out a familiar red cloth, bent down and tied the cloth around his neck.

"You really are morons…" Impmon said dejectedly before accepting the fate chosen for him. Kyubimon tore through the desert and was able to make it to an ark that took the Tamers back to the Human World. When Kazu saw the purple Digimon in Rika's arms, he glared at the red-haired girl.

"You mean to tell me the reason we almost left you here is because you went back for Impmon?! Do you have any idea what he did to us, what he did to Jeri?"

"I do…" Rika nodded sadly. Kazu glared at Rika a few moments longer before sitting back and sighing, "Well, if you did know and still brought him along, I guess there's nothing else to say, then…"

'Are they okay…with somebody like me going back?' Impmon thought as the Ark took the Tamers back to the Human World. Once there, Impmon immediately left the park, Rika looking on with a saddened look.

'Impmon…'

* * *

Another memory shift, and Impmon was now in Hongo, leaping on top of buildings, looking for two specific people. Finally, he found them. Ai and Mako, who were both overjoyed in seeing Impmon come back. The twins took him to their house and offered him food and drinks.

"Hey, I think this is too much…" Impmon said, looking at the small feast in front of him before seeing Ai holding a teddy bear, both the girl and her twin having sad looks on their faces.

"This teddy bear here had its arm torn off, but our mom fixed it," explained Ai. "We were fighting over it like we used to fight over you before you left us…after that, we decided to start sharing."

"Because we fought over you…that's why you went away, wasn't it Impmon?" asked Mako. "That's why we decided to share."

"We're really sorry, Impmon…" said Ai. Impmon stared in shock at how much his young human friends had grown and matured the last time he saw them, and how they admitted to their selfishness and how they apologized. The purple imp turned his head away so none of the twins could see a lone tear trickle down his cheek.

"Do you forgive us?" asked Ai.

"You're not mad anymore, are you?" asked Mako.

"No…I'm not mad anymore," Impmon said, holding down a sob. "I forgive you…" A short while later, and the twins turned on the TV, showing WarGrowlmon, Rapidmon and Taomon being beaten by one of the D-Reaper's agents in Shinjuku. Impmon looked at the footage in horror, before coming to a decision.

"Ai, Mako…I'm sorry, but I have to go! My friends need me in Shinjuku. I promise, I'll come back this time!" Impmon ran out of the house, but was stopped short by Ai and Mako, the latter giving Impmon a toy gun.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"Take this with you! You can blast the bad guys with it!"

"Mako…" Impmon breathed in surprise at the gesture before taking it with a cocky grin. "Don't worry! Leave it to me!"

"Do your best, Impmon," Ai said, kissing Impmon on the cheek. The purple demon blushed in embarrassment before running off, determined to help his friends and redeem himself for what he did. Even if the Tamers didn't want or need his help, Ai and Mako believed in him, because they were his partners.

A flash of light engulfed Impmon, and Beelzemon stormed down the streets, the toy gun turning into a giant blaster on his right arm. Black wings erupted from his back and his red eyes turned green.

"Ai, Mako…thank you!" the demon lord Digimon said, shouting his new name into the air. "BEELZEMON BLAST MODE!" Taking flight, Beelzemon flew into Shinjuku and aided the Tamers in destroying the D-Reaper agent with his new power.

The battle against the D-Reaper continued and learning that Jeri was being held captive by the D-Reaper, Beelzemon vowed to rescue Jeri to atone for killing Leomon. The memory shifted to show Beelzemon floating in front of a massive yellow eye that was part of the structure holding Jeri. The eye repeated over and over how Beelzemon killed Leomon, and it angered the demon lord.

"SHUT UP! STOP USING JERI'S VOICE!" Beelzemon screamed at the eye. "WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW?!" The demon lord took a deep breath as he raised his gun in the air and began drawing a star. "I know I can't ask for forgiveness. It's too late for that! As much as I want to, I can't change the past! But either way, I will rescue Jeri! And no talking eyeball's going to stop me! CHAOS FLARE!" A circle appeared around the star and a massive blast of purple energy flew from the gun and it the eye, magnified by the circle. The blasts hit, but the eye remained unscratched, and fired another blast of energy that destroyed Beelzemon's blaster.

"You…" Beelzemon gasped, looking at his smoking right arm. "That was Mako's toy gun! You'll pay for that!" Thanks to a powerful blast of energy from Grani, Gallantmon's steed, the protective shield shattered, and Beelzemon flew at the orb holding Jeri and Calumon, ramming it over and over again with his fists, but the shield held firm.

"Damn it! Break already, you stupid orb!" Beelzemon cursed, frustrated at the lack of progress. Roaring loudly, Beelzemon raised his right arm in the air, screaming into the heavens.

"GIVE ME…MORE POWER!" Beelzemon roared as he suddenly felt a new power coursing through him, and a warm, familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Beelzemon…I cannot do much inside you…but I can give you some extra power…use it, my friend, and save…my partner…"

"Leomon…" Beelzemon gasped in awe, before pulling back his right arm and thrusting it forward.

" **FIST…OF…THE BEAST KING!** " Leomon's attack hit the shield, and a hole was formed in the shield.

"Finally!" Beelzemon laughed in triumph. He was close now. The hole was big enough for his arm and head to get through. The hole was closing slowly, and Beelzemon knew he needed to act fast.

"Jeri, there's no time!" the demon lord yelled to the girl. "Grab my hand! Hurry! We can get you out of here!"

"Come on Jeri, we need to go!" Calumon pleaded with Jeri, trying to push her towards Beelzemon, but Jeri simply looked at Beelzemon with a saddened look.

"Leomon…" Jeri whimpered, and Beelzemon gasped, realizing that Jeri must have saw him use her own partner's attack, and it caused her to freeze up again. The hole was beginning to close faster, and it eventually closed up, sealing Jeri back inside. Beelzemon continued pounding away at the orb in anger. He was so fixated on freeing Jeri again, he didn't look behind him until he heard Gallantmon's voice yell out to him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"Beelzemon, behind you!" Beelzemon turned his head, and let out a yell of surprise when he saw sharp green blades head right for him. Unable to move, Beelzemon yelled in pain and agony as the blades burrowed into his back and shredded his wings.

"BEELZEMON!" Jeri screamed, watching in horror as the demon lord Digimon plummeted down. Gallantmon and Terriermon and Renamon's Mega levels, MegaGargomon, a massive green dog robot armed to the teeth with missiles and rockets, and Sakuyamon, a beautiful human woman wearing golden fox armor, could only watch in horror along with Jeri and Calumon as Beelzemon fell towards the red blob that was the D-Reaper.

"BEELZEMON!" yelled Gallantmon and MegaGargomon.

"No…!" gasped Sakuyamon.

"I can't…let it…end…here!" Beelzemon groaned as he continued falling, feeling data leaving his body. The demon lord grunted as he landed on something hard before reverting to Impmon. The purple devil Digimon looked up to see Grani had saved him from the D-Reaper.

"Impmon, hang in there!" Sakuyamon said, taking Impmon into her arms.

"We're going to get you medical attention," said MegaGargomon.

"No…I need…to save Jeri…I have to…" Impmon's voice cracked as he pleaded, and he felt consciousness leave him, his final thoughts on Jeri.

* * *

A week passed, and Impmon was returned to Ai and Mako, the memory shifting to the demon Digimon and the two children traveling on a bus together.

"Impmon…it's okay…" Ai said, comforting Impmon. "You did good…"

"But I didn't do good enough…" Impmon moaned. "I tried to save Jeri…but I failed. I'm such a piece of crap…"

"Don't say that!" said Mako. "You were amazing out there! We saw you on the TV!"

"Please don't leave us, Impmon!" begged Ai. "We want to be with you forever!" As the girl spoke these words, a flash of light appeared before the three, and a white D-Ark with a purple ring appeared overhead before floating down, Ai and Mako each grasping it with a hand.

"What is this?" asked Ai.

"Is it a new toy?" Mako asked curiously.

"That's no toy…" Impmon breathed, slowly feeling his wounds closing up. "That's an important device known as…the D-Ark. It's appeared before both of you. That means…we're partners now."

"Really?" Ai and Mako asked in surprise.

* * *

Time passed, and the memory shifted to the park, where Impmon and the twins were with the other Tamers.

"Impmon…you're okay," Renamon breathed in relief.

"Even I have Tamers," Impmon chuckled, gesturing to the two young children, the girl wearing the D-Ark around her neck. "I'd like you to meet Ai and Mako."

"I see…" said Renamon. Impmon noticed Jeri looking at him, with a relieved look.

"I'm glad you're okay Impmon…I didn't want to lose anyone else." Impmon began feeling better upon hearing those words, but he still couldn't help but wonder.

"Jeri…do you…I mean, could you…ever forgive me…for what I've done?"

"Of course," Jeri said with a small smile. Impmon was astonished at Jeri's answer, and suddenly, he began feeling funny. Looking down at his body, Impmon noticed he was shrinking. He continued shrinking and changing until he was Yaamon, his In-Training form. The other Digimon De-Digivolved, and in place of Guilmon, Renamon, Terriermon, Cyberdramon, Lopmon, and Guardromon were Gigimon, Viximon, Gummymon, Hopmon, Kokomon, and Kapurimon. The only Digimon that didn't De-Digivolve were Calumon and Betamon's Mega level MarineAngemon, a small pink fairy Digimon with a red heart on his chest and a golden ring on his neck. Suzie came running into the scene, along with Janyu Wong, a guilty look on his face.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"Dad, what's happening?!" Henry asked his father, holding Gummymon in his arms.

"Why are the Digimon De-Digivolving?!" asked Takato. Janyu hesitated before answering.

"Our plan was successful. The barrier between the Human World and the Digital World has been stabilized…"

"Then, that means the Digimon…!" Ryo said as Ai and Mako ran over, the latter picking up Yaamon.

"They have to go back to the Digital World. If they stay here any longer, then they'll return to programs like the D-Reaper."

"That can't be!" gasped Takato, tears beginning to stream down his face. "I made a promise to Guilmon!"

"This…this can't be!" Rika gasped, clutching Viximon close to her chest.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?!" Henry asked his father angrily. "When you scanned Terriermon, you knew…but you didn't say anything…"

"I'm truly sorry," Janyu said sadly. "I know I did something that would save both worlds…but in the process, I've done something I can never atone for…"

"Henry…moumantai!" Gummymon said happily as he floated out of Henry's arms, and into the portal. One by one the Digimon returned to the Digital World, Yaamon looking down to see tears appearing in his partners' eyes, and he couldn't help but shed a tear as well. He promised them both he would never leave them again, but now…

"It's a promise, Takato!" Gigimon called to his partner as the portal closed. "We'll play again soon…"

* * *

Another memory shift showed the Tamers' partners gathered around a fireplace at nightfall in a forest. Terriermon and Monodramon were arguing over who got the bigger grapes, Renamon and Lopmon kept an eye out for any intruders with MarineAngemon hanging close by. Guardromon sat by the fireplace with Calumon and Guilmon, both eating fish they caught by a nearby river. Impmon sat in a tree, looking up at the night sky with a glare. It frustrated him to no end about not being back with Ai and Mako yet.

"AGH! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" The purple demon yelled, leaping out of the tree and letting the other Digimon look at him in surprise. "We've been here for three months, and we have not found a way back to the Human World! The pressure's getting to me!"

"Impmon, moumantai!" said Terriermon. "We'll find a way back soon!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"And when's soon?!" snapped Impmon. "Tomorrow? A week? Three more months? A year? Ten years?!"

"Impmon, take it easy," said Renamon. "I know things haven't been easy since we've been brought back here, but we're all still together…"

"No, we're not! We don't have our partners!"

"Impmon, I don't think that's what Renamon meant…" Monodramon said, but Impmon was still steaming.

"You know what? Screw you guys! I'll find my own way back to Ai and Mako!" Impmon growled before walking away. He didn't get far as MarineAngemon spat out a heart-shaped bubble, trapping Impmon inside. The purple demon turned around and glared at the small pink Digimon.

"Let me out of here!"

"Impmon, please don't go," said Calumon. "We're all friends here!"

"Calumon…" Impmon sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I'm not making much progress here with you. I feel like…I feel like I need to go on my own, find a way myself back to the Human World."

"But, Impmon…" Guardromon started before Renamon cut off the robot Digimon.

"Let him go."

"What?" the other Digimon asked in surprise, Impmon surprised as well.

"I can tell this is Impmon's decision. His journey back to his Tamers is different than ours…and he cannot make it if he is still with us."

"Are you sure about this, Renamon?" asked Lopmon. The kitsune nodded, and MarineAngemon sighed, dropping down the bubble and allowing Impmon to leave. The purple imp turned back to his friends with a small smile.

"I really hope we'll see each other again someday, maybe in the Human World." And with that, Impmon left the forest and headed out for the Digital World.

* * *

Two more months passed, and Impmon trudged through the desert. He was tired and hungry, but none of that mattered. He wouldn't stop until he was finally back with his Tamers. Even if he died getting back, it would be worth it to see Ai and Mako one last time…

A loud clap of thunder shook the sky, followed by a loud roar. Looking up, Impmon was shocked to see a purple portal open in the air, a giant Digimon flying out of it, followed by a smaller Digimon that Impmon recognized instantly.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"Justimon?!" Sure enough, the Digimon was Justimon, and when Impmon looked closer, he saw a familiar human on Justimon's shoulder.

"What the...how's Ryo on Justimon's shoulder? Doesn't he form Justimon with his partner?!" Justimon flew into the large Digimon and they crashed through into the ground in front of Impmon. The demon Digimon jumped behind a rock to avoid the rocks that flew at him, and he looked over the rock to see another portal open up behind the monstrous Digimon. Justimon leaped towards the Digimon with his Justice Kick and the two combatants fell into the portal with Ryo. As the portal began closing, Impmon's head was running with thoughts.

If Justimon and Ryo were together again, then that meant the other Tamers had their partners again...and that portal must lead to the human world, meaning he could get back with Ai and Mako.

"Well, here goes nothing!" Concentrating all of his energy on the goal of getting to the portal before it closed, Impmon transformed to Beelzemon Blast Mode and flew into the portal before it closed.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)

Beelzemon gasped as he found himself in a dark void that showed many other portals with purple lightning crackling everywhere . Through the portals he could see a burning city, tidal waves crashing down on cities, peaceful villages...

...and Ai and Mako playing in their backyard.

"Ai! Mako!" Beelzemon exclaimed happily. He had finally done it. He had found them. He just had to fly up into the portal. Spreading his wings, the demon lord headed for the portal with Ai and Mako in it, but as he was focused on heading for the portal, he failed to notice the lightning streaking through the area.

Beelzemon was close to the portal when a lightning bolt struck him in the chest and knocked him down. The demon lord grunted as another lightning bolt struck him in the face, but he was determined to make it to his partners. But the lightning storm in the area was getting worse, and he was getting further away from the portal.

"Got to...make it...!" Beelzemon grunted, but he was getting weaker from the lightning. Another lightning bolt suddenly went through his chest, and Beelzemon screamed as he fell out of the sky and towards another portal. He could feel his data destabilizing from the continuous lightning strikes, and he could have sworn he felt some of the data leave him. Reverting to his Rookie form, Impmon groaned as he saw another lightning bolt prepare to strike him. At his current weakened form, he was unable to dodge it...

"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" A giant ball of fire flew above Impmon's head and collided with the lightning, dispersing it. Gasping in realization and shock, Impmon saw a familiar humanoid Digimon with the face of a lion standing protectively in front of him.

(Play Digimon: Bark at the Lies)

"Leomon...?"

"Are you okay, Impmon?" Leomon asked, turning to Impmon and bending down to help him up. Impmon could only look up at Leomon in surprise.

"What the...how...?"

"The lightning caused a temporary destabilization in your data," Leomon explained, jumping out of the way of another lightning blast while scooping Impmon up in his arms. "As a result of it, some of the excess data you absorbed left your body, and I was able to reform as a result."

"I don't...get it..." Impmon tried to move, but winced at the movement.

"Don't move, I can get you out of here," said Leomon, looking around the area. "We must figure out which portal will take us to safety."

"The top one..." Impmon grunted. "Ai and Mako...my Tamers..." Leomon looked up at the portal Impmon was pointing to, and his eyes narrowed.

"I see. Hold on!" Leomon tucked Impmon tight under his arm and prepared to leap into the portal, but a lightning bolt suddenly struck the ground and Leomon yelled as he flew into the air with Impmon. Another lightning blast struck Leomon and Impmon. The two Digimon yelled in pain as they lost consciousness and began falling towards another portal. As he fell with Leomon, Impmon opened his eyes a crack to see Ai and Mako one last time.

"Ai...Mako...I'm sorry..." he muttered before blacking out entirely.

* * *

He groaned as he opened his eyes, finding himself in an area filled with trees and green grass. Where was he? What was he doing before he blacked out? He knew his name was Impmon…but he couldn't remember anything else. But he felt something in his mind, telling him that there was something out there for him, something important to him.

"Are you all right, my friend?" Impmon turned around and saw a massive man with a lion's face look down at him. Impmon couldn't be sure, but he felt like he knew this guy.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"I…I think so. Have we met before? You look familiar to me."

"I…do not know," said Leomon. "I do not remember much, except that my name is Leomon. And I remember something…I cannot be sure, but it is important to me."

"The same thing's happening with me!" gasped Impmon. "I don't remember much, only that I'm looking for something important to me as well!"

"I see…" said Leomon. "Perhaps it's not a coincidence that we woke up together in this forest with amnesia, with the same thoughts going through our heads?"

"Yeah, maybe," Impmon said, scratching his head confusedly. "So what now?"

"I suggest we look for whatever is important to us," said Leomon.

"What…together?!" Impmon asked surprised, getting a nod from Leomon in response.

"Yes…perhaps there is something about us here together."

"Well, if you say so…" Impmon said with a nod. Leomon nodded and began walking down the path, Impmon following close by with a bewildered look. Who was Leomon, and why did he feel like somebody important to him?! If only he could remember…

* * *

Months passed, and Impmon and Leomon went their separate ways, as they soon felt they were both searching for something different. The demon Digimon traveled alone, not making any friends along the way. During the trip, he was trampled by a herd of Monochromon, and was dragging himself away with what strength he had left.

"I can't give up…not until…I find…what I'm looking for!" Impmon groaned as he continued pulling himself along the desert floor before collapsing. As he moaned in pain, a shadowed figure approached him and Impmon looked up, seeing that the figure before him was a human woman with blond hair and blue eyes, and she wore red witch clothing and a big hat. The woman looked down at the hurt Digimon with shock.

"Oh, my! You're an Impmon, aren't you?"

"Yeah, lady…what's it…to you…?"

"You need help," said the woman, bending down. "Here, let me…"

"I don't need help!" Impmon tried to move away, but gave out a short yell in pain, prompting the woman to pick him up carefully.

"Don't be ridiculous," said the woman. "I'm not going to hurt you." Impmon looked up into the woman's eyes and saw warmth and compassion filled with them, and he suddenly knew he could trust this woman.

"All right then…who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Witchmon," the woman said with a warm smile, walking out of the desert. Impmon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Impmon awoke, he found himself lying in a bed in a cottage. The sound of clicking made him turn to see Witchmon sitting in a rocking chair, knitting something in her lap.

"Oh! You're awake!" Witchmon gasped.

"Where…am I?" Impmon asked, sitting up and wincing.

"Don't move so much, I'm going to get some help for you!" Witchmon stood up from her chair and left the room, coming back in moments later with two Digimon that looked like Wizardmon, but one was dressed in white clothes, and the other wore red clothes and had no cape. The white Digimon held a metal staff with a snowflake on top, and the red Digimon held a giant matchstick in his hand.

"Who are these two louses?"

"These louses happen to be my sons," said Witchmon. "Sorcerimon," she motioned to the white-robed Digimon, "and FlaWizardmon," she gestured to the red-clothed Digimon. "Sorcerimon is an expert in healing magic."

"Hold still and let me do my work," said Sorcerimon. Impmon sighed and allowed the white-robed Digimon to wave his staff over his body. Impmon gasped slightly as he felt his injuries heal up and his strength return to him.

"Thanks," said Impmon, giving a small smile. "I feel better now."

"You shouldn't move around much yet, though," said FlaWizardmon. "You should rest a bit first."

"All right," Impmon sighed. "I'll rest, and then I'll leave…wherever I am."

"You're in Witchelny," answered Witchmon. "This is home to not only us, but to many other mythical Digimon. It's a magical Digital World that exists in a plane different than the main Digital World."

"Can I get out of Witchelny?"

"Yes, you can get out, but it requires a complex spell to get in here," said Sorcerimon.

"But not to get out, I reckon," said Impmon. "Thanks for letting me stay here, but I have to go once you give me a clean bill of health."

"Is there something important you have to do?" asked FlaWizardmon.

"Yes," said Impmon. "For the last few months, I've been searching everywhere for something important to me, waiting for it…"

"What is it?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"I…I don't know," Impmon responded to Witchmon's question. "I don't remember much, except that it was important."

"How exactly can you find something if you don't remember it?" asked FlaWizardmon.

"I don't know yet, but I'll know it when I finally find it," said Impmon, placing his head on the pillow.

"Well, you can't find it as you are now," said Witchmon, making Impmon look at her like she was stupid.

"Look lady, I appreciate the help you gave me, and I'll know better than to move around while I'm healing…"

"I'm not talking about your injuries," Witchmon cut him off. "I'm talking about you in your Rookie level. If you go out into the Digital World again, then you'll be trashed about, and I can't protect you all the time."

"I'm not asking for your protection."

"I know. You seem like you're capable of handling yourself, but you need to be stronger if you want to survive the Digital World. It has not been an easy place as of late. Strange things are happening there, things that not even we in Witchelny are aware of."

"Stronger, huh?" Impmon asked, eyebrows knit in concentration, as if he was attempting to recall something from his past. "How do I become stronger?"

"That's another reason why I brought you here," answered Witchmon. "I could never leave an innocent Digimon to die like that…but also, I feel a great power inside of you."

"A great power, huh?" asked Impmon, interested in what the female witch was saying. "And how exactly do I get this great power to come out of me?"

"Here in Witchelny, we shall teach you everything we know about magic," said Sorcerimon. "Through the teachings, you'll be able to Digivolve to a strong Digimon, and with your new skills, you'll be able to continue your search." Impmon looked at the three Digimon with suspicion.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Impmon…I promise you, you can trust us. If I wasn't such a nice Digimon, I would have left you in that desert to fend for yourself," said Witchmon with a smirk. "But I didn't." Impmon opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but said nothing as he realized the truth in Witchmon's words.

"So…you're saying you can teach me?"

"We can," said FlaWizardmon. "But the question is…do you want this Impmon? Do you want to learn our ways?" Impmon considered the answer for a moment. The Monochromon rampage wasn't the first time he had been in a problem since waking up in the forest months ago with no memory. First there was the Gazimon band, then a confrontation with a Tuskmon, followed by a nasty encounter with a Gesomon. He had managed to get away with his wits, but not before getting hurt. He had tried to fight, but he hadn't had much luck as he was a Rookie. He managed to take out several Gazimon with his flame attacks, but Tuskmon and Gesomon were different stories. They were Champion level Digimon, and thus, more powerful than the purple demon Digimon. If he was stronger, he could have fought them on equal ground. He felt he needed to become stronger if he had any hopes of finding whatever he was looking for…and perhaps Witchelny could provide him with the strength needed.

"Well…if you guys can teach me…then I'll take up that offer."

* * *

The memories continued shifting, showing Impmon's training on Witchelny. Every day, he read books on magic and learned how to wield magic from Witchmon, who had come to take Impmon into her house as an adopted son, much to the demon's embarrassment. Through his training, Impmon became stronger and skilled in magical abilities, especially in fire and earth magic. Soon, he Digivolved into Wizardmon.

* * *

Another memory shift showed Wizardmon leaving Witchelny in order to continue his search. The mage Digimon traveled alone, only stopping once in a while to find somewhere to eat and sleep, but never stopping to make friends. One day, he ended up in a small town in the desert and collapsed, having not eaten anything for three days. Numerous Digimon passed by him, but they never stopped to help him up. A shadowed figure suddenly came over him, and Wizardmon looked up to see a small white cat Digimon that could reach up to his knees standing over him, holding a bowl of water in front of him.

"Here…drink this." Gathering whatever strength he had, Wizardmon pulled down the collar of his cloak and allowed some of the cold liquid to go down his throat until he passed out.

"Hey, what's wrong?! Hang in there!" Those were the last words the mage heard before passing out. When he awoke, it was nighttime and he found himself near a campfire, and the white cat was in front of the fire, watching him intently.

"You're awake," said the white cat. "Good. I was worried you would die."

"Are you the one who saved me?" asked Wizardmon, sitting up so he could look at the white cat. "Who are you?"

"My name is Gatomon," said the white cat, "and I didn't really do anything noble. I just couldn't leave you lying there." Wizardmon had a flashback to the day he met Witchmon and she helped him in the desert.

'What is it with people rescuing me in the desert?' he thought as he struggled to stand back up. "Well, thank you for helping me, but I really must be going now."

"Stay here," said Gatomon. "Your body won't be able to withstand a long journey yet." Wizardmon sighed, and sat back down in front of the white cat.

"Look, I really appreciate your help, but I don't have anything to repay you with."

"I'm not asking for anything in return," said Gatomon, looking at Wizardmon with a thoughtful expression. "If you have to say something like that, then you've probably lived a long time being alone."

"What?" Wizardmon asked in confusion.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare 2)

"When you live too long in solitude, your heart becomes cold. It happens to everyone…even me," Gatomon said with a hint of sadness. Wizardmon said nothing from Gatomon's words, as he knew deep down she was right. Though Witchmon and her sons had accepted Wizardmon in their family, and the other Digimon in Witchelny accepted him as well, the mage Digimon never truly felt like he belonged with the other mage Digimon. He had only stayed with them so he could become stronger and be able to protect himself in the Digital World during his search. He had truly ever felt alone, which may have been the reason why he left Witchelny shortly after Digivolving from Impmon, which had been five years ago.

"I…I guess so," he finally said. "What happened to you?" Gatomon glared at Wizardmon briefly before looking down.

"My whole life, I've been waiting; waiting and searching for someone, but I never find her!"

"Waiting? Searching?" Wizardmon asked in surprise. This sounded very familiar to him. "For who?"

"I…I don't know," answered Gatomon. "I don't remember anymore…but I was waiting for someone. And when I couldn't wait any longer, I decided to find her."

"I see…" Wizardmon said with a knowing nod as he sat back down. "To be honest…I've been searching for something important to me as well, but I can't remember."

"You too?" Gatomon asked in surprise.

"Yes," said Wizardmon, studying Gatomon before speaking again. "Perhaps you and I could find them together."

"Together?" asked Gatomon, surprised even more now.

"Yes," said Wizardmon. "You and I both seek something important to us, but we cannot remember it. However…if you and I stay together, then perhaps we will remember them together."

"I…I don't think that's a good idea," said Gatomon, uneasy at Wizardmon's proposition. "You see…I work for a Digimon who's…not exactly the nicest Digimon around…" The white cat rubbed her right paw, which was covered in a red and green glove, much like the left paw. "He also seeks only the strongest Digimon into his army…"

"I see," Wizardmon said, eyes narrowed at the mention of this dark Digimon. "But I shall still come with you Gatomon. I happen to be very powerful despite my looks."

"You do?" Wizardmon nodded, and Gatomon could tell he was being truthful. She wasn't sure about bringing someone like Wizardmon to her master, as he seemed like a nice Digimon, but could he handle the cruelty of someone like Myotismon? "Very well then, once you are fully recovered, I'll take you to him."

* * *

The next morning, Gatomon and Wizardmon set out, and the white cat brought the mage to Myotismon, a vampire-like Digimon. Wizardmon shivered at the sight of the Digimon, and he could see that he was definitely not a friendly Digimon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yami kara no Mezamase ~Vamdemon no Theme~)

"Gatomon, you have returned," said the vampire Digimon as the white cat bowed to him. Myotismon looked up and saw Wizardmon, raising an eyebrow. "Who is this?"

"This is a new friend of mine that I met yesterday, Lord Myotismon," Gatomon answered, standing back up and gesturing to Wizardmon. "This is Wizardmon. He is a Champion level Digimon like I am, but he is very skilled and very powerful. I believe he could be a valuable asset to your army." Myotismon walked over and looked down at Wizardmon. The mage Digimon resisted the urge to shudder as he looked up in Myotismon's ice-cold blue eyes as he felt them study him.

"Does she speak the truth?"

"She does," Wizardmon said, slowly dropping down to one knee. "Gatomon helped me yesterday when I was in great need, and I have vowed to repay my debt to her. She has spoken very highly of you during our voyage to this castle, and I am willing to do whatever you wish...Lord Myotismon." This was a lie, as he felt this dark Digimon was someone Gatomon did not want to serve, but did it anyway as she had little to no choice.

"Hmm…I do sense great power within you, despite your low level," said Myotismon, a smirk slowly growing on his lips. "Yes…you could do very well." The vampire Digimon then looked down to the white cat. "Make sure he does not disappoint me, Gatomon."

"I will, my lord," Gatomon said with a bow.

* * *

More memory shifts showed years of Wizardmon and Gatomon's service under Myotismon. Throughout the years, Gatomon's memories of searching for someone faded away and she continued serving Myotismon loyally, but Wizardmon never forgot and vowed to make Gatomon remember. Though he carried out numerous missions for Myotismon, he was never truly loyal to the evil vampire Digimon. His true loyalty was to Gatomon, not just because she saved his life, but because of their similar backgrounds of searching for something they were unable to remember.

* * *

Soon, Myotismon took his army to the Human World, where they would take it over and kill the eighth Digidestined, a group of humans chosen to save the Digital World with their own partner Digimon. There were seven so far, and the eighth child was somewhere in the human world, prophesized to destroy Myotismon. The vampire Digimon had the eighth child's Crest, the Crest of Light, in his hands, and distributed copies to his minions, ordering them to search Japan for him or her.

As he searched, Wizardmon began thinking about what Gatomon had said to her the first day they met. Though the white cat didn't remember it, Wizardmon did, and he began wondering. This somebody Gatomon mentioned…could she possibly be the eighth child, and could Gatomon be the child's partner Digimon? He would make her remember.

* * *

August 2, 1999. Wizardmon had just left Gatomon, who was watching an apartment from across the street, housing a small girl with brown hair. The mage Digimon flew to Ariake forest, where he managed to find the eighth child's Digivice in a crow's nest. DemiDevimon caught him, but Wizardmon pretended he was drunk after drinking sake. Once the annoying bat was out of his hair, Wizardmon returned to Gatomon, telling her that eighth child could be somewhere deep within her heart, making her remember their first meeting and what she said, while declaring he had been fighting for her the entire time and not Myotismon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri Zen no Theme)

"Who was it that I was waiting for?" Gatomon asked as she began to slowly remember. "Who was I looking for?"

"Let's set things straight," Wizardmon said, flying over to the apartment and landing in front of the girl, who was outside on the balcony. Gatomon leapt over and joined them. Taking the Digivice out of his pocket, Wizardmon placed in Gatomon's hand and pushed her towards the girl. The girl stretched her hand out and touched the Digivice, which glowed brightly. Tai and Agumon appeared and after a brief misunderstanding that had Agumon nearly hit Kari with a Pepper Breath by accident, which Gatomon took for Kari, Gatomon finally remembered.

"I was waiting for the eighth child…Kari, I was waiting for you! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Wizardmon watched with a small smile, happy that Gatomon finally regained her memories and was finally with Kari. Now if only he could remember…

* * *

The memories shifted again and came to Wizardmon being thrown into the ocean by Myotismon with the Crest of Light once the vampire Digimon discovered their treachery, as well as the truth of Gatomon. The mage Digimon struggled to stay alive, eventually being found by Joe and TK, who were riding on Zudomon. Wizardmon was pulled up and he explained everything to the two boys, gaining their trust. Once they reached the Fuji TV Station, Wizardmon used his magic to heal Lillymon, who had been paralyzed by Myotismon's Nightmare Claw.

"Wizardmon isn't a bad Digimon!" TK told everybody. "He has a Tag and Crest that belongs to the eighth child!" Wizardmon showed them the Crest and explained everything to them, while learning from Matt about Kari surrendering herself to Phantomon. Wizardmon went up to the top of the TV station with the Digidestined. Myotismon was able to hold his own so far, but Wizardmon decided to be tricky and blasted him in the back when he least expected it.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Kari, catch!" Wizardmon tossed the Crest of Light over to Kari, who was happy to see Wizardmon alive, as well as Gatomon.

"So…you're still alive!" Myotismon growled, turning to see the glaring mage Digimon.

"I'm the type that makes sure my debts are paid," said Wizardmon. "Besides, it'll take more than the likes of you to destroy me!"

"We'll see about that!" Myotismon raised his hand in the air and fire an orb of purple energy that blasted Wizardmon into a wall. Wizardmon grunted as he fell forward. Looking up, he watched as Tai and MetalGreymon joined the battle with Mimi, but Myotismon was able to hold off all of the Ultimate levels' attacks, and DemiDevimon managed to grab Kari's Digivice before Kari could catch it from Tai.

Angemon's appearance, however, made a turn for the better, as he was able to bring Myotismon to his knees, and obliterate the reaper-like Phantomon with his Heaven's Knuckle attack.

"Myotismon! Give yourself up!" Angemon called out. Myotismon looked up at the angel Digimon with a pained grin.

"Don't think that's enough to finish me off! GRISLY WING!" Everybody gasped when they saw the bats were not heading for Angemon, but a defenseless Kari and Gatomon. With no other options in his mind but one, Wizardmon put all of his remaining energy into a big jump, putting himself between his two friends and Myotismon's attack. Wizardmon's mouth opened in a silent scream as the attack tore through his already weakened body. His hat flew off his head as he landed on his back in front of a stunned Kari and Gatomon.

"You little pipsqueak…" Myotismon growled at his former servant. "What nerve you have, getting in my way!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi)

"Wizardmon!" Kari and Gatomon both cried out, running over and bending down over the hurt Digimon.

"Wizardmon, please! You can't die!" Kari pleaded with the dying mage. Wizardmon said nothing as he looked over to Gatomon, tears streaming down her face.

"Gatomon…are you…okay…"

"Wizardmon…I'm sorry…" Gatomon sobbed, unable to tear away from the sight of her dying friend.

"For what…?"

"It's my fault you're like this…had I not gotten you involved…you would have found what you were looking for."

"It's not your fault," Wizardmon said with a small smile. "I know…someday I'll find what I was looking for…I remember now…and I'll find it someday. Had I not met you, I would not remember…and I would still be wandering aimlessly…I'm glad I got to know you. I'm glad…you were my friend…"

"Wizardmon…" Gatomon sobbed as Wizardmon began feeling light-headed.

"Thank you…for everything…" the mage Digimon breathed his last, his final thoughts going through his head.

'So this is what it's like. I'm sorry, Ai…Mako…looks like I won't be keeping my promise after all…'

* * *

Everything was black until Wizardmon opened his eyes again. He found himself floating over the TV station, where he saw his friend Digivolve into the beautiful Angewomon and destroy Myotismon with her Celestial Arrow. Confused about why he was still alive, Wizardmon looked down and saw his body was transparent. It suddenly clicked to him.

'Because I didn't die in the Digital World…I'm stuck like this…forever…' The bad feeling in Wizardmon's body grew worse upon realizing he could never be reborn again. He would now be stuck here forever as a ghost…in another dimension…with no Ai, no Mako, no Jeri…not even Leomon, who may have been with him in this dimension, but had no memories of who he was.

* * *

As he watched from his place above the TV station, Wizardmon watched as Myotismon Digivolved to his Mega level, VenomMyotismon. The mage Digimon could only watch in horror as the giant vampire monster tore through Odaiba, craving power.

'Was that…what I was like…when I was Beelzemon? When I killed Leomon?' Wizardmon thought in shock.

(Play Digimon: Brave Heart)

But his horror became relief when he saw Agumon Digivolve to his own Mega level, WarGreymon, a dragon warrior clad in armor, a shield, and clawed gauntlets, and Gabumon Digivolve to his Mega level, MetalGarurumon.

'Hmm…Tai and Matt didn't merge with them like Takato and the others did…this dimension must be definitely different than my own…' he observed. He watched as WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon tear through VenomMyotismon with their special attacks, effectively destroying him. The sky then split open, and the Digital World was revealed, leading to the Digidestined returning to the Digital World to fight the Dark Masters.

* * *

Wizardmon watched as the Digidestined battle the Dark Masters, worried when he saw Kari fall ill, and cursed the heavens above when he saw Leomon die again. The mage's anger over Leomon's death soon turned to pleasure when he saw MetalEtemon fall before the Digidestined for what he did to Leomon.

"Good riddance, you bastard…" he muttered as the rips in the sky closed after Apocalymon was destroyed, and the Digidestined returned without their partners.

* * *

As the next four years passed, Wizardmon stayed where he was, unable to leave as the TV station was rebuilt. The mage Digimon remained as a spirit and he could only watch and wallow in sadness as he thought about Ai, Mako, Jeri, the Tamers, Kari, Gatomon…so many promises broken, and so many failures. In his mind, the mage Digimon, who had been through so much as Impmon, Wizardmon, Beelzemon and Beelzemon Blast Mode, was a failure. He could never again be with Ai and Mako.

Then one day, a week ago, he felt a familiar feeling swell up in his chest. Looking out over Odaiba, Wizardmon was shocked when he saw his Tamers were now in this dimension with Jeri and the other Tamers. His shock soon turned into sadness as he knew he would still be unable to be with them ever again, and the feeling was worse when he learned Leomon had regained his memories as well and reunited with Jeri.

(Play Digimon: 3 Primary Colors)

'Leomon's lucky…he gets back together with his partner, but I can never be with Ai and Mako again because of what's become of me…and even then…I wouldn't be worthy of being their partner…'

* * *

 _Why do we have to fight?_

 _I don't want to hurt anyone_

The images faded, and everybody found themselves back in the present day in the director's room of the TV station. The Digidestined and Tamers had looks of shock and sadness on their faces from what they just saw.

 _If it's not a game, I want to quit_

 _What do you think?_

"Do you see now?" Wizardmon asked his Tamers sadly. "After everything I've done…every promise I've broken…every failure that's befallen me…I am unworthy of being your partner…unworthy of being anybody's friend…"

 _I don't have time to search for a reason_

"That's not true, Impmon!" said Ai, tears streaming down her face. "You may have done horrible things, but you've proven yourself capable of good things as well!"

 _I don't want anyone to steal it from me, do I?_

"She's right!" said Mako, equally sad. "Thanks to you, me and Ai stopped fighting and we became proper siblings."

 _I don't want to run away without fighting?_

 _What do you think?_

"And if it wasn't for you, I would never have met Kari," Gatomon said, tears in her own eyes as well. A teary-eyed Kari nodded as well. "Don't you see, Wizardmon? You have done many things to redeem yourself. You may have failed in some places, but nobody's perfect!"

 _I don't understand now_

 _But I know someday the day will come when I do_

"Yeah!" said Davis. "We all screw up plenty, but we can't let that get to us! You can't let it get to you, Wizardmon! There are people who care about you and want you in their lives!"

 _Primary Colors_

 _We're still primary colors_

"We want you with us, Impmon," said Ai.

"I'm Wizardmon in this form," the mage Digimon reminded the girl.

 _Afraid of mixing with each other_

 _Primary Colors_

 _Everything is up to our future selves_

"It doesn't matter," said Mako. "Whether you're Wizardmon, Beelzemon, or Yaamon…you're still Impmon to us."

"And you're not a murderous monster," said Ai. "You're still our friend…our partner…our family."

 _When we join hands_

 _We'll be infinitely expanding colors_

"You…actually consider me…your family?" Wizardmon asked in surprise.

"We do," said Ai. "We love you Impmon…and we don't want you to go away again."

"We want to be with you forever," said Mako. "And we're not the only ones. Jeri, Rika, the others…they want you back as well…and Gatomon does as well…"

 _I can't say whether it's right or not_

 _But we're fighting to stay alive, right?_

 _Those are the rules of life_

 _What do you think?_

"You are right," said Kari. "The things you did as Beelzemon were bad enough to put you in the same league with Myotismon…but Myotismon never repented for his sins, never regretted anything. But you…you were filled with regret and remorse, and you wanted to redeem yourself in the eyes of your Tamers and your friends…and you earned your redemption. You are not Myotismon."

 _I believe in no one but myself_

 _Ever since I was little I've been this way_

 _I don't want to take off my sunglasses_

 _This is me_

"Wizardmon…please come back to us…" Gatomon said, her eyes still leaking tears. "We need you…all of us…you're not a failure…you're not a disgrace…you have proven yourself worthy of being my friend…Ai and Mako's partner…everybody has forgiven you for your past sins…please…"

 _I'm not strong_

 _But I'm sure that's okay for now_

"I…I want to, so badly…" Wizardmon finally said, eyes clenched tightly. "But I don't know how to…"

"Then we can find a way," said Jeri. "I don't care how long it takes…but you will return to life, Wizardmon! It's what you want…it's what we all want."

 _Primary Colors_

"We'll find a way for you to come back to us, Impmon," said Ai.

 _Our feelings are still primary colors_

 _Afraid of believing in each other_

 _Primary Colors_

 _Everything is up to our future selves_

"We just have to believe in it happening," said Mako. As they spoke, the storm outside began to die down and the dark clouds parted to reveal a bright sun. The attention in the room was suddenly diverted to two things glowing brightly: Ai and Mako's D-Ark, and the Crest of Light that appeared over Kari's chest.

 _When we overlap each other_

 _We'll be brilliantly expanding colors_

"This…this is…!" Kari gasped as the two lights joined together and engulfed Wizardmon.

"What's happening?!" Izzy asked in bewilderment.

"Ai and Mako's connection with Impmon, as well as Kari's Crest of Light, must be affecting Wizardmon somehow," said Henry, noticing the twin lights glowing brightly together.

As Wizardmon glowed brightly, a rainbow appeared over the TV station, as a result of the storm outside and the sun shining brightly. Bright lights rained down from the rainbow and onto Wizardmon. At this point, Wizardmon's figure was now one of light. The figure suddenly began shrinking and changing form. When the light faded, Impmon stood in place of Wizardmon, completely solid.

 _No one knows_

 _But surely that's okay for now_

"I…I'm solid again!" Impmon gasped at what had just happened to him. "Does this mean…I'm alive again?"

"Imp…Impmon…" Gatomon breathed as the light faded from Kari's chest and the D-Ark. The white cat stepped forward and stretched out her hand.

 _Primary Colors_

 _We're still primary colors_

 _Afraid of mixing with each other_

Hesitating slightly, Impmon reached out towards his old friend as well. The two hands joined together, and Gatomon couldn't stop the fresh tears that appeared in her eyes as she embraced her old friend, Impmon stumbling back in shock from the hug. "You're alive again…"

 _Primary Colors_

 _Everything is up to our future selves_

 _When we join hands_

 _We'll be infinitely expanding colors_

Impmon stood in shock before he smiled, tears of his own appearing in his eyes as he returned the hug. "Yeah…I guess I am…" Ai and Mako ran over joined Gatomon in the hug, happy that their partner was finally back with them after so long. Unable to contain themselves, Kari and Jeri ran over, and were also in the hug as well.

The rest of the Digidestined and the Tamers hung back with smiles on their faces as they watched the emotional reunion before them. They may have been unable to make much progress today concerning the Digital World due to the blackout…but they were finally able to find an old friend of theirs and they managed to bring him back to life. Now all they needed to do was rescue Patamon, and bring Ken back to their side. Together…they could accomplish anything.

 _We are the three primary colors..._

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 16

 **How many of you were expecting Impmon to be Wizardmon the entire time? This was an idea that came to me when I looked up possible Champion and Ultimate levels for Impmon and Beelzemon. I clicked on Wizardmon, who was listed as a Champion form for Impmon on Wikimon, and when I saw his Ultimate level, which can Digivolve to Beelzemon, I knew Wizardmon had to be the right choice for this. So now the entire team is together, we learn how Impmon came to the Digidestined's dimension and how Leomon's data was extracted from him. And it seems like TK will be able to get help for his anger problems concerning darkness, courtesy of Henry.**

 **As you may have noticed, I put in the English translation of the song "3 Primary Colors" in the resurrection scene. I've always found it to be an emotional song in Digimon, and I wanted to add the lyrics to this scene. Did it fit well?**

 **In the next chapter, the Digidestined and the Tamers return to the Digital World to fight one of the most powerful Ultimate level Digimon, but can they possibly defeat MagnaAngemon? Impmon may have an solution...**


	17. Chapter 17: Witchelny, Land of Magic

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **As I'm sure you're aware by now, we lost a legend early this week. His name was Stan Lee, and he was without a doubt the greatest comic book writer of all time. The characters he created, like Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, will live forever in comics thanks to him. He was a great man who inspired millions, and was funny as well. There's nothing more to say, as his legacy is one that speaks for him. I said before that Stan Lee is a legend, and while legend is a word that's tossed around a lot, it's a word that perfectly describes him. He is indeed a legend, a Marvel...an Avenger.**

 **Rest in peace, Stan Lee. We will see you in the stars.**

 **Excelsior!**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

A blackout in Tokyo prevented the Digidestined and Tamers from going to the Digital World to fight the Digimon Emperor and MagnaAngemon. But a disturbance at the TV station brought everybody to the ghost of Gatomon's friend Wizardmon, who was also Ai and Mako's missing partner, Impmon. Thanks to Ai and Mako's D-Arc and Kari's Crest of Light, Impmon was able to return to life, his Tamers, and his best friend.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Witchelny, The Land of Magic

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

The damp sand could be felt on Kari's bare feet, and the cold, salty air left goosebumps on her arms and legs, which were covered in thin pink pajamas. And the stench of death filled her nostrils, making her want to vomit. But she couldn't.

Kari stood again on the empty, dark beach, unable to move or speak. Whether she didn't want to or something was keeping her from doing so, she could not tell. She had hoped after last night she would never find herself back here again. But she found herself here in the strange beach again and she could only shiver as she knew what came next.

As if on cue, the giant black creature emerged again from the violently-churning sea, much closer than the last few dreams.

"Come to me…" the creature said in its dead voice, and Kari's face turned white when she stared into the blood-red eyes again. With every ounce of strength she had in her, the bearer of Light forced herself to look down at the ground.

"No…" she croaked. "I won't!"

"You must!" the creature said in an annoyed growl. "You are not strong enough to oppose me!" Five black tentacles suddenly burst from the ground around Kari and wrapped around each limb as well as her neck. She was helpless as she was dragged to the ground and forced to look into those red eyes again.

"Soon, you shall be mine."

Kari could only scream as she struggled in the tentacles, but the tentacle around her neck moved up and covered her mouth, cutting off her scream and air. The girl continued struggling and pulling as the creature came closer to her. A sixth tentacle burst from the ground in front of her, aiming its tip at her face like it was a knife. It pulled back, and Kari could only continue giving off a muffled yell through the tentacle as the sharp appendage pulled back, and…

"Kari! Wake up!"

Her eyes suddenly flew open and she shot up in bed with a gasp. Her clock read 4:00 in the morning, and in the dark she could make out Tai, Gatomon, Takato, Agumon and Guilmon beside her bed, worried expressions on their faces.

"Are you okay, sis?" Tai asked his sister. "Gatomon said you were having a nightmare, but she couldn't wake you up. And Takato could hear you yelling from the living room. What's wrong?"

Kari shivered and took a deep breath as she remembered the tentacles coiled around her body. Several times now she had dreamt of that place, but the dream she had just now was scarier than the last few ones. Kari could only groan and hug her legs; she wished she knew what they meant. She looked over to the small crowd in front of her and didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell them, but she didn't want to bother them much, especially since she was having trouble understanding it herself. "I…I'm fine, it was…just a bad dream."

"Kari, are you sure?" asked Takato. The brown-haired girl nodded before lying back down in bed.

"Do you want something, like some water?" asked Tai.

"Maybe just some fresh air," Kari muttered, getting out of bed and stepping out to the balcony. She sighed as she leaned against the railing and took in the sight of Odaiba, where everybody else was sleeping peacefully…unlike her.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawari Nante Inai)

"Takato…" Tai whispered to the goggled Tamer. "I know I shouldn't be asking this…but did anything like this…"

"Yes," Takato nodded. "She did have these dreams in the show."

"But what are they about, and why can't she tell us?" Gatomon asked sadly. "Why can't she tell me?" She remembered shortly after they defeated Machinedramon on Spiral Mountain. It was the time Kari fell seriously ill, and Tai was worried like Hell, not that she blamed him. During a brief time to recuperate, Tai had told her how she nearly died once from a serious illness when she was young, and kept the illness from everybody. Kari had always kept quiet whenever something made her feel unwell or uncomfortable because she didn't want to upset anyone…but it always ended up hurting her and those around her. Perhaps if she spoke to someone, maybe Davis, about it, they could get Kari to open up.

"She may not fully understand what the dreams are about," said Takato, "…and to be honest, I don't understand them either. The writers never really went into full detail about her dreams."

"Can you at least tell us what you know about them?" Tai asked with a frown. Takato hesitated, wondering if he should tell about the Dark Ocean, eventually deciding.

"I'm sorry Tai…but I can't exactly say much right now. We have to let Kari tell us first herself before I can really say anything."

"I just hope she does tell us," said Tai, looking at his sister sadly. "I hate it when she does this; keeping things to herself and never telling me…even if it kills her."

"Don't," said Takato. "Don't keep beating yourself up over that, Tai. I know what happened when Kari was five, the whole pneumonia thing…and she doesn't hate you for it, and your parents don't either. The only one who's still blaming you is yourself. You need to get over it."

"I have," Tai said sincerely. "It's just…when she does this…"

"I know," said Takato. "I've had that sort of experience with Jeri." The two goggled boys soon went back to bed, and Kari returned to her room, lying down and trying to get two more hours of sleep before she had to get ready for school. She could only hope she didn't have that dream again.

* * *

TK lay on his hands and knees, watching in despair as his friends fell one by one, his brother Matt being the last to fall with a giant slash in his chest, a very fatal wound. The blond-haired boy looked up at Matt's killer: MagnaAngemon, his sword dripping with blood and the Dark Spiral shining black on his left arm. Behind the eight-winged angel, the Digimon Emperor stood, chuckling with pleasure at the scene.

"Damn you…Ichijouji…" TK cursed angrily, tears falling out of his eyes. Ken laughed at TK's misery.

"Finish him, MagnaAngemon. I think he deserves a special death. Do it!" MagnaAngemon flew into the air, and held his sword high. TK's blood went cold when he realized what his partner was about to do.

"MagnaAngemon…please…don't do it!"

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" TK's plea fell on deaf ears as the circle was drawn, and the golden gate appeared in midair and opened up, revealing the white void that lay behind it.

TK gasped as he felt a force pull him towards the gate. The blond-haired boy scrambled to grab something to keep him from being sucked into the void, but it was useless. The force of the gate was too strong for TK to resist, and he could only give a muted scream of terror as he was sucked into the dimension that the gate led to.

The last thing he saw was the dead bodies of his brother and friends, and the last thing he heard was the Digimon Emperor laugh in triumph…

"AGH!"

TK sat upright in bed, sweat pouring down his face and soaking his shirt. His breath came out in short, ragged breaths as he looked around at his surroundings.

He was staying the night at Matt's apartment, and was sleeping in his brother's bedroom. He was still home…but he still did not have Patamon.

'Damn blackout…' he thought. The power had come back on at 5:00 pm yesterday, and he was hoping to go to the Digital World, but it was deemed late enough, but the others reassured him they would go to the Digital World tomorrow to fight and save Patamon. But it wasn't enough for him to not have the nightmare that just plagued him.

"TK…are you okay?" Matt asked, sitting up in bed. His brother's yell of terror had woken him up, and he looked down at TK in worry.

"Yeah…I'm fine…sorry Matt, I just…had a bad dream…" TK breathed as he lay back down on the air mattress. Matt looked at his brother with a sad smile and got out of bed, placing a hand on TK's shoulder.

"Don't worry bro…we'll get him back tomorrow."

"Yeah…we will…" the bearer of Hope said with a little smile of his own before he turned on his side and went back to sleep.

* * *

It was 6:30 in the morning as two winged figures flew high above Tamachi and landed on the balcony of a specific apartment they were searching for. Davis and Ryo slid off the backs of ExVeemon and Cyberdramon, who reverted to Veemon and Monodramon as the two boys slowly slid open the balcony door and stepped into Ken's bedroom, which was completely dark and deserted.

"Are you sure we'll find what we're looking for here, Ryo?" asked Davis.

"I'm sure we will," said Ryo. "We have to end all of this today, and maybe, if we have Ken's Crest with us, we can end it faster."

"Yeah," the burgundy-haired boy sighed defeatedly. Stress and anger had been building up in him ever since this entire mess began back in April. It was now the middle of May, and the fight against Ken in the Digital World was still going on…and Davis wanted it to end sooner rather than later.

"All right, search the place," Ryo said to Davis and the two Digimon. "And try not to make much of a mess."

"Yes!" nodded the three other members of the group. As Davis checked a closet and Ryo checked the desk, Veemon and Monodramon checked out the bed, seeing if the Crest was there. As the two dragon Digimon searched the sheets, Monodramon froze up slightly and let out a small grunt of pain.

"Monodramon, are you all right?" Veemon asked, noticing his friend's distress.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" Monodramon hissed. "Probably just the sword wound from the other day…I'll be fine, though. It still hurts when I move suddenly."

"Well, watch it then," Veemon said before going back to his search. Monodramon nodded and continued looking for Ken's Crest, feeling the jab in him again. He knew it wasn't the stab wound he received from MagnaAngemon, but something far worse…

'Damn it…what's the deal with this happening right now? Does it have to do with when I touched Ken during our fight? If that's the case, then I need to be careful if I get close to Ken today. There's no telling how Millenniummon's data will react again!'

Ryo huffed as he noticed Ken's desk did not have the Crest of Kindness in any of its drawers. Was it even here in Ken's bedroom at all, or was it tossed away somewhere in the Digital World when Millenniummon corrupted Ken?

'It _has_ to be here somewhere,' he thought irritated as he closed another drawer. Looking around the computer desk, his eyes were diverted to an old photo on the desk that was covered in a thick layer of dust. Most of the things in Ken's room were covered in dust due to Ken abandoning it a week ago, but the picture was obviously the most ignored of everything. Taking the picture in hand and blowing dust off it, the Legendary Tamer sighed sadly when he saw that the picture was of Ken and his older brother Sam. Ryo stared at the picture as he remembered the day he first met the Ichijoujis.

* * *

FLASHBACK

 _Eight year old Ryo Akiyama was led down the hall by his mother. The Akiyamas had recently moved to Tamachi, and his mother wanted Ryo to try and make new friends. His mother rang the doorbell of the apartment they were in front of, and the door opened to reveal a brown-haired woman with a kind-hearted face. The woman let Ryo and his mother in, and Ryo was greeted with the sight of two boys in the living room. One was wearing glasses and obviously Ryo's age, and the other boy may have been five years old._

 _"Ryo, I'd like you to meet Sam Ichijouji and his brother Ken," said Ryo's mother. "I met their mother at the store yesterday, and I thought you'd like having a play date with them." Ken was looking up at Ryo with an excited look on his face, while Sam was eyeing him critically._

 _Ryo could only smile wryly at the two siblings. He could tell they could be good friends in the future._

END FLASHBACK

* * *

Ryo's mind drifted off to several memories he had of the two brothers, before they shifted to a few months after he went to the Digital World and helped the Digital World fight Millenniummon.

* * *

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

 _"So Sam, you said you wanted to see me about something?" Ryo asked, stepping into the bedroom with one of his friends._

 _"I did," Sam said, his face serious. "Ryo, do you remember when you told me about going to that strange world on New Year's?"_

 _"Yeah, the Digital World," Ryo nodded with a confused look._

 _"And you said you had a device when you went there, yes?"_

 _"Yes…" Ryo said slowly, pulling his Digivice out of his pocket and showing it to Sam, still looking confused. "Why are you asking me this?"_

 _"Well…" Sam hesitated before going over to his desk and opening a drawer, pulling something out. "I think you should take a look yourself." Ryo walked over and looked at the object in Sam's hand, and he gasped in surprise when he saw what it was. There, lying in Sam's hand, was a Digivice._

 _"Where…where did you get that?!" The brown-haired boy asked in surprise. "And when did you get that?"_

 _"Yesterday, when Ken and I were in the room together," answered Sam. "The computer just lit up and spat this out."_

 _"That's exactly how I got mine," said Ryo, taking the device from Sam and looking it over. "Then that means…it has to be for you or Ken."_

 _"I think it may be for Ken. You said when you got your Digivice, it reacted to only you and nobody else," explained Sam._

 _"Did it do anything when you held it or pressed the buttons?"_

 _"No," Sam said with a shake of his head and an uneasy look on his face. "I told Ken not to touch it, because I remember you telling me how dangerous the Digital World was…and I didn't want him to go there alone. I left for a couple of hours, and when I came back, I saw him on the floor, playing with it."_

 _"Did he go to the Digital World?!" asked a concerned Ryo._

 _"I don't know. When I left he was still in the room, and when I came back, he was in the room…but the computer looked like it had just been used."_

 _"Oh, my…" Ryo said in worry._

 _"He didn't look hurt, but I was still worried…except I didn't show my worry the right way. I freaked out on him when I saw him with it and I yelled at him," the purple-haired boy said with a look of regret. Ryo sighed at that, knowing that Sam was never exactly good with people._

 _"I feel bad for what I did; I'm just…not good at being a brother. It would have been easier if you were with us. You're better with Ken than I am."_

 _"You're not bad either," Ryo assured his friend. "You just need to get your head out of the books once in a while."_

 _"I try," Sam said with a dry chuckle. "Ryo, I need you to promise me something. I have a feeling that this Digivice is Ken's, and he'll want to go to the Digital World. I'll try to keep him from going, but I don't think I can stop him forever. If he does go, promise me that you'll be with him as well and you'll protect him." The boy's eyes were filled with genuine worry, and Ryo was worried as well. Ken was like a brother to him, and he couldn't bear someone like him being exposed to the dangers of the Digital World. But if he was chosen, then it would only be a matter of time before Ken went to the Digital World…and Ryo would have to be there to ensure his protection._

 _"I will," the bearer of Destiny said with a determined nod. "I'll make sure nothing happens to him."_

 _"Don't say that nothing will happen," Sam shook his head. "Maybe it's the genius in me, but nothing is ever guaranteed, including somebody's safety."_

 _"But I promise…I will protect him…even if it costs me my own life," Ryo said, his eyes filled with determination._

END FLASHBACK

* * *

Ryo sighed as he looked around the room again. He remembered the last time he was in this room, which was also the last time he had ever been in the Human World of this dimension, which was a week after the Diaboromon crisis. It was also the first time he and Ken had met Davis…

* * *

FLASHBACK

 _"Ken's still upset with you?" Ryo asked Sam as the two boys sat in the living room of the Ichijouji apartment together._

 _"Yeah, he is," Sam said, looking grumpy. "I said I was sorry, and it was a month ago! I still can't believe he's mad at me…"_

 _"Maybe I should talk to him," said Ryo. "I really haven't had much of a chance to talk with him ever since the school year started…"_

 _"Yeah, it would be best if you did," Sam sighed. "You're better with people than I am."_

 _"Hey, what can I say?" Ryo chuckled. "You're gifted with brains, and I'm gifted with social skills." The two boys laughed as Ryo walked down the hallway and into the bedroom, closing the door behind him for privacy._

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)_

 _"Hey, Ken?" Ryo called softly to the bed above, where he knew the younger Ichijouji sibling was. "Can I come up?"_

 _"Yes," a small voice said, and Ryo climbed up the ladder and sat down on the bed, where Ken lay curled up into a ball, a sad look on his face._

 _"Hey, buddy," Ryo rubbed Ken's back soothingly to get the young boy to brighten up a little. "Are you doing okay?"_

 _"I still don't understand Ryo," said Ken. "Why did Sam get so mad at me for playing with what came out of the computer? I just wanted to see what it was and what it did. I didn't do anything wrong."_

 _"I know Ken, but you should have asked Sam before you took it," said Ryo. "Besides, Sam wasn't trying to be mean with you. You know what he's like. He's just thinking about you and your safety, like I am; we just have different ways of showing it." The older boy sat Ken up on the bed and gave him a warm hug. "You know, Sam's actually outside worry about you. He thinks you hate him."_

 _"I could never hate Sam!" Ken gasped, pulling away from Ryo. "He's still my brother and I love him."_

 _"Well, you should tell him then," Ryo said, climbing down from the ladder before letting Ken climb down. Before the two boys could walk for the door, the computer screen suddenly lit up and began flashing different colors of its own accord. Ryo and Ken stared at the computer in shock as the screen began fizzling with static, a purple face with yellow eyes appearing distorted._

 _"R…Ry…o…Ryo!"_

 _Ryo froze as the face called out his name. He knew that voice…_

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)_

 _"Woah!" Ken gasped as he looked at the computer. "Ryo, check it out! There's a Digimon on the computer!"_

 _"D…Digimon?!" Ryo asked in shock. "Ken, you know about the Digimon?"_

 _"Yeah, I've been to the Digital World…once," Ken said with a nod. "I didn't stay long, though." So Sam had been right. Ken had been to the Digital World. Of all the times, did this have to happen now? The older boy sighed as he placed his hand over his face._

 _"Ryo!" the voice called out, clearer than before. The face had also cleared up, and Ryo could see that it was his partner calling out to him._

 _"Monodramon!" the brown-haired boy called out, running over to the computer. "What's wrong, buddy?"_

 _"Ryo…we need you here back in the Digital World! We're in grave danger!"_

 _"Danger?" Ryo asked, concerned. "What's this danger?"_

 _"…It's Millenniummon, Ryo. He's back." Ryo felt his blood run cold at the mention of the name. Millenniummon had been a terrible Digimon, and a difficult one to beat, and now he was back. He could still remember the final battle with the mad Digimon._

 _"Millenniummon's back…have Tai and the others been called in?" Monodramon looked uneasy, and Ryo's bad feeling grew more._

 _"Just get here fast. I can't hold the connection for long. Hold up your Digivice to the screen and you'll be brought to Primary Village." Ryo nodded, knowing that he couldn't ignore call for help from the Digital World. Raising his Digivice to the computer screen, Ryo was sucked into the Digital World and landed in Primary Village, where Monodramon was waiting._

 _"Ryo!" the purple dragon laughed as he jumped into Ryo's arms, nearly knocking him off his back. "I'm so glad to see you!"_

 _"Hey, easy buddy! I'm glad to see you too!" Ryo laughed, happy to see his partner again. But the happy feeling evaporated when he looked up to the sky and saw Ken fall towards the ground, landing on the bouncy grass of Primary Village._

 _"Ken!" Ryo dashed forward and looked over the younger boy. Fortunately, since Primary Village's ground was rubber, Ken had no injuries to himself._

 _"Ken, what are you doing here?" Ryo asked worriedly._

 _"Well, it sounded like you needed some help," Ken explained sheepishly while holding his Digivice in his hand, "so I thought I would come with you."_

 _"Ken, I don't think this was a good idea," Ryo said sternly. "The Digital World is in a crisis right now, and I can't worry about protecting you and the Digital World. Sam will kill me if anything happens to you."_

 _"You don't have to be so mean," Ken said with a frown. "I can take care of myself."_

 _"And to be honest Ryo, we'll need his help," said Monodramon. "We're in a bad situation."_

 _"How bad is it?" asked Ryo. "And where are Tai and the others?"_

 _"They're not coming." Monodramon delved into a quick explanation of Millenniummon accelerating time in the Digital World again and the other Digidestined Digimon being turned to stone._

 _"So, it's just you and me now against Millenniummon?!" Ryo said, aghast at the information that was just dispensed in front of him._

 _"Not exactly." Monodramon turned around and whistled loudly. "Come on out, little guy! Your partner's here!"_

 _(Play Digimon Adventure: Saikai)_

 _A nearby bush rustled, and a small Digimon that looked like a pinecone with a caterpillar's head and small stubby arms burst out of the bush, dashing towards Ken with an excited squeal._

 _"Ken! You finally made it! I can finally meet you!" Ken yelped in surprise as the pinecone leapt into his arms._

 _"W-who are you?" Ken asked in surprise._

 _"I'm Minomon, and I'm your Digimon partner, just like Monodramon is to Ryo!"_

 _"Minomon…" Ryo muttered before looking over to Monodramon. "Does he have a Crest?"_

 _"Yes," Monodramon held up his arms to reveal two Tags with Crests inside them, one golden with an M, and a dark pink one with a rose design on it. The purple dragon walked over and gave the pink one to Ken._

 _"Ken…this is the Crest of Kindness that is meant for you," said Monodramon. "You've been chosen to become a Digidestined, and like Minomon said, he is your partner." Ken stared at the Crest in awe and looked it over._

 _"Does this mean I can help you, Ryo?" the boy asked with pleading eyes. Ryo sighed, knowing he had little to no choice in this matter. If Ken was meant for this, then he would have to do this._

 _"All right. But you have to promise me that you'll stay by me while we're in this world. Minomon is obviously In-Training level, so he won't be able to do much right now. I'll have to tell you what I know about Digimon when we have a chance."_

 _"Okay!" Ken said before looking at the golden necklace in Monodramon's hand. "So, is that your Crest Monodramon has, Ryo?"_

 _"What?" Ryo looked down and saw the Crest in Monodramon's hand, seeing that while it was gold like his Crest of Destiny, it had a different design._

 _"No, I already have mine," he showed the Crest around his neck. "Monodramon, is that for another Digidestined?"_

 _"Yeah, he landed not far from here," Monodramon gestured to a nearby forest path. "His partner went over to greet him."_

 _"Can you take us to him?"_

 _"Follow us!" Monodramon and Minomon led the two boys down the road, and after several minutes, they heard nearby voices._

 _"Come on Davis, don't be afraid of me! I'm your friend!"_

 _"I'm not afraid, I just…I don't get what's going on here! One minute I'm in my room, then this device comes out of my computer, and then I get sucked into my computer, and now I'm in a forest where some blue teddy bear…"_

 _"I'm a dragon!"_

 _"Where are your wings, then?"_

 _"Hey, not all dragon Digimon have wings!"_

 _"Digi…mon…?" Ryo and Ken came into clearing where they saw two figures in front of them; the smaller of the two was a small blue-and-white dragon Digimon, and judging from his size and stubby limbs, he was obviously at the In-Training level like Minomon. The other figure was a boy who, judging from his size, may have been Ken's age. The boy had burgundy-colored hair and mocha-colored eyes, lightly tanned skin, and he wore square goggles that hung around his neck. Ryo chuckled lightly when he saw the goggles, which reminded him of Tai. The boy looked down at the dragon and then around the forest with a look of confusion on his face before he saw the two boys in front of him._

 _(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Adventure Heart ~Daisuke no Theme #2~)_

 _"Are…are you humans?" the boy asked before noticing Minomon and Monodramon, yelling in surprise as he jumped back. "There's more of them!"_

 _"Woah, easy there, kid!" Ryo walked over and bent down in front of the boy. "It's all right, they're not going to hurt you!"_

 _"Yeah!" said the mini dragon. "If I wanted to hurt you, wouldn't I have done it already?" The boy looked down at the dragon and contemplated the answer before he said, "Well…I guess so."_

 _"It's all right, we're not going to hurt you," Ryo said softly, holding out his hand. "What's your name, kid?"_

 _"D…Daisuke Motomiya. But everybody calls me Davis. What is going on here, exactly? Where am I?"_

 _"You're in the Digital World, Davis," said Ryo. "I need to know something. You said a device came out of your computer. Do you have it?"_

 _"Yes, it's right here," Davis reached into his shorts pocket and pulled out a Digivice much like Ryo's and Ken's. "What does this mean?"_

 _"It means," Ryo said with a sigh, "that you have been chosen to be a Digidestined to protect the Digital World and the Human World…"_

 _"And I'm your partner Digimon, Davis!" said the dragon. "I'm DemiVeemon!"_

 _"Digimon…" Davis muttered. "Do you mean those strange monsters that appeared in Odaiba last year when that strange fog showed up?"_

 _"Yeah, those guys," Ryo nodded. "You saw them?"_

 _"Yeah…I saw them," Davis said with a dark look as he grabbed his shirt and pulled it up, showing a scar on his side. "One of them, a vampire bully, gave me this when I decided to kick him."_

 _"Holy…" Ryo stared at the scar in shock and Ken could only gasp in horror. Davis merely nodded as he dropped his shirt back down and covered the scar up._

 _"Don't worry Davis, I won't hurt you!" DemiVeemon hopped over to Davis and jumped in his arms, the burgundy-haired boy yelping as he caught the little dragon. "I'll protect you from anybody that wants to try and hurt you!"_

 _"I…I don't understand this…" Davis said, confusion all over his face and in his eyes._

 _"Don't worry," Ryo placed his hands on Davis's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I've been through this before Davis. I promise, I'll help you and Ken get through this. We're Digidestined, and we're more than a team. We'll be friends."_

 _"Yeah!" said Ken, smiling to Davis. "You look like someone that could be a good friend!"_

 _"You…you really think so?" asked Davis, surprised at Ryo and Ken's insistence to be his friends. "I've never really been good at making friends…"_

 _"Then I can be your friend!" DemiVeemon looked up to the burgundy-haired boy. "I promise I'll be the best friend you've ever had!" The little dragon snuggled into his chest and purred happily. Davis looked down and couldn't help but smile. From what he saw of DemiVeemon, as well as the other two Digimon, they were completely unlike the vampire that hurt him last year, as well as the ghosts and the ball-shaped bat. Rather, DemiVeemon reminded him very much of the white cat that was being forced to go through all the children at Big Sight, a friendly Digimon that looked like he would never hurt a fly._

 _"Well…if you guys do want to be my friends…I guess I could give it a chance…"_

 _"Yay!" DemiVeemon cheered as Ken, Ryo and Minomon looked happy, Monodramon walking forward with the golden necklace in his hands._

 _"What is this?" Davis asked, taking the necklace in hand and examining it._

 _"It's your Crest," Ryo answered, showing his own Crest to the young goggled boy. "As a Digidestined, you have not only a Digivice, but a Crest as well to help DemiVeemon Digivolve if you're in trouble."_

 _"This is the Crest of Miracles," said Monodramon. "It's a powerful Crest that could come in handy if we need it."_

 _"This looks cool," Davis said, placing the Crest around his neck. "So what does it mean, exactly, to be a Digidestined?"_

 _"I'm wondering that as well," said Ken. "Ryo, if you've done this before, can you tell us what you know?"_

 _"Sure," Ryo said with a small smile. "Let's get settled first before we explain everything." Ryo led the younger boys back to Primary Village, Monodramon by his side, and Minomon and DemiVeemon riding on their partners' heads. The bearer of Destiny sighed, realizing how hard this would be for him. Not only would he be the only experienced Digidestined fighting Millenniummon, but he would have to take charge of two boys younger than him, and one of them was his close friend._

 _'Man, I wish Tai was here…'_

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"Ryo….hey, Ryo!" The Legendary Tamer jolted a little hearing Davis's voice. Pulling himself out of his past memories, Ryo looked over to see Davis holding something in his hands.

"Did you find it?" Ryo asked, looking at Davis's closed hand. The burgundy-haired boy nodded and held out his hand, revealing the Crest of Kindness.

"It was in his closet…"

"Good," Ryo took the Crest from Davis and placed it in his pocket. "This could help us when we go to the Digital World today."

"Yeah," Davis nodded, holding the same hopes as well. "By the way, Ryo…are you okay? You were looking off when I was calling out to you."

"Huh? Oh…yeah, I guess I was," said Ryo. "I was just remembering…do you remember the day we first met?"

"Yeah…I do," Davis said as he walked out to the balcony with Ryo, Veemon and Monodramon. "I was a little scared and confused at first, but I later warmed up to it, and you and everybody…" his face dropped down sadly. "I just wish it ended better than it did."

"Sometimes, I do as well…" Ryo sighed as their partners Digivolved and carried them back to Odaiba in the skies. "But we can't dwell on the past forever Davis. We have to stay in the present and focus on the future…"

"Right…" Davis said quietly, looking at the blue sky while wondering what Ken was doing to the Digital World right now.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito 2)

In the desert village of Saint Arugula, a green-skinned dragon man Digimon was going about the early morning grind, walking about the village and cheerfully watching as various Digimon wandered the streets, from Floramon to Mushroomon and many others. Younger Digimon tagged along with their older companions, laughing and playing. The Digimon, known as Dinohyumon, smiled at scene before him. Although the Digimon Emperor caused trouble elsewhere in the Digital World, life was still going well in his village…but one was always cautious.

Dinohyumon continued walking through the village until he came upon two towering Digimon that appeared to be made out of yellow rocks held together with white rope. The rock Digimon, known as Golemon, stared out at the desert with red eyes that poked out from their iron helmets.

"Golemon, have there been any sightings of the Digimon Emperor?" Dinohyumon asked. The rock Digimon grunted with a shake of their heads, and the dragon man sighed in relief. Word spread fast in the Digital World, and rumors came yesterday to the village that the Digimon Emperor had recently managed to acquire a powerful Ultimate level Digimon, and was taking over areas at a fast pace, enslaving most of the Digimon while killing others. It unnerved Dinohyumon a little. From what he had heard, the Emperor had only been enslaving Digimon since he started taking over the Digital World, but the fact that he was killing Digimon now was unsettling.

Dinohyumon turned back to the village to get some breakfast, when the Golemon grunted again, pointing to something in the distance.

"What is it?!" he asked, turning back to the Golemon and drawing out a sword. The Golemon pointed to a small shadowed figure in the distance. Dinohyumon locked eyes with it and held his sword steady as the figure came closer.

"Dinohyumon! Dinohyumon!" the figure yelled, and the dragon man relaxed a little when he noticed the Digimon was a Kiwimon, one of the residents of his village. The small bird Digimon continued sprinting towards Dinohyumon until he was right in front of him. Kiwimon breathed heavily as he tried to talk.

"Dino…hyumon…Emperor…not far…"

"Easy, Kiwimon," Dinohyumon dropped down to one knee and looked at Kiwimon. "Breath first before you tell me what's wrong."

"The Digimon Emperor…" Kiwimon said after breathing deeply. "I saw him not far from here. He's coming…" Dinohyumon grew rigid upon hearing those words. The dragon man stood back up and ran back to the village, where Digimon were going about their business.

"Everybody, run for it!" Dinohyumon yelled to the villagers. "The Digimon Emperor is coming here!" The villagers gasped and screamed upon hearing the warning, but before anybody could move, a rushing wind was heard and two figures dropped down. Dust was kicked up, and when it cleared, Stingmon and MagnaAngemon were revealed, the latter carrying the Digimon Emperor on his shoulder.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

"You…" Dinohyumon growled, drawing his sword out upon seeing the young tyrant before him.

"Yes…me," the Digimon Emperor said with a chuckle as he looked at all the Digimon villagers, who had looks of fear on their faces. "As you can tell from my presence here, your village is now under my control. I'd advise you surrender now to my rule. If any of you dare to resist, I will not hesitate to have Stingmon and MagnaAngemon strike you down. Do you understand?"

"Oh, they do…" Dinohyumon gestured to the villagers with a smirk, "but I don't…and they certainly don't." A loud roaring caused the Digimon Emperor to turn around, and the boy yelled in surprise when he saw the two Golemon charge for him, raising their arms to strike him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"MOON SHOOTER!" Stingmon acted fast, shooting the needles from his arms at the Golemon. The rock Digimon's hard bodies were not affected by the needles, but they were annoyed nonetheless and charged for the green insect Digimon. The Golemon closest to Stingmon went to punch him in the chest, but Stingmon blocked the punch and slid back in the sand before spreading his wings and extending the spikes on his arms, engaging the two Golemon in battle. As Stingmon and the Golemon fought, Dinhyumon charged at MagnaAngemon, swords gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

"LIZARD DANCE!" The dragon man began moving around like he was dancing while swinging his sword and the blades on his arms at MagnaAngemon. The winged Digimon expertly blocked the blades with Excalibur and his beam shield before swing hard with his sword and knocking the sword out of Dinohyumon's hands. The dragon man was undeterred and delivered a flurry of punches and kicks to bring down MagnaAngemon. Strong as Dinohyumon was, he was only a Champion level Digimon against an Ultimate level. The Digimon Emperor watched the fight with a smirk, as if he was enjoying the fight.

"MagnaAngemon…don't hold back." The angel Digimon nodded to the Emperor and suddenly grabbed Dinohyumon's arm, flipping him over and throwing him into a building. MagnaAngemon spread his wings and flew at Dinohyumon, sword held out front. Dinohyumon managed to roll out of the way and avoid being stabbed, before grabbing the large knife on his back, the Akinakes, and swinging it at MagnaAngemon, but was shocked when the corrupted angel Digimon swung his sword and sliced the Akinakes in two.

"Impossible!" MagnaAngemon took advantage of Dinohyumon's shocked state to kick him in the chest, knocking him down. He brought his sword down again, but Dinohyumon dodged again and kicked at MagnaAngemon's leg, hoping to knock him down, but the angel barely felt the kick as he grabbed Dinohyumon's leg and flew upwards before throwing him down. Dinohyumon grunted as he landed hard on the ground.

"CRIMSON CURSE!" Hot, black gas erupted from the Golemon's backs and mouths, flying at Stingmon with the intent of burning him. But Stingmon was a seasoned and experienced fighter. Spreading his wings, Stingmon flapped them furiously while standing in place. A cloud of sand was kicked up and hit the black gas, solidifying to glass. The Golemon were confused at what they just saw, and Stingmon took advantage, flying into the air before dropping down on the Golemon.

"SPIKING FINISH!" The purple spikes slammed into the Golemon's chests and knocked them on their backs, but the attack didn't kill them.

"Excellent!" the Digimon Emperor chuckled at the sight of the fallen Digimon before pressing some buttons on his gauntlet. "Now for a Control Spire…"

"You haven't…won yet!" Dinohyumon grunted, standing back up with the Golemon. The Emperor looked up at them with a smirk.

"So you still have some fight left, huh? MagnaAngemon, finish them off."

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" The golden gate appeared from MagnaAngemon's sword and opened up, the air rippling around it as Dinohyumon and the two Golemon felt their feet leave the ground. The three Digimon tried to fight off the attack, but they could only roar in anguish as they were sucked into the dimension behind the gate, resulting in their deaths. The villagers could only watch in horror at the scene that unfolded before them.

"Yes…" the Digimon Emperor chuckled as he pushed a button on his gauntlet, and the ground burst apart to reveal a Control Spire that shot into the sky.

"And now, you fools shall become my new slaves!" the Emperor called out to the villagers, and a shower of Dark Rings erupted from the Spire. The Digimon screamed in horror as they began running, but they knew it was useless to try and run from the Digimon Emperor. Nobody could save them now…

"PIT BOMB!" A tiny voice suddenly rang out through the area, and a small black bomb with bat wings and an evil smile on it flew out of nowhere and hit a nearby Dark Ring, creating an explosion that wiped out a number of the descending Dark Rings.

"What?!" the Digimon Emperor yelled in surprise as more small black bombs appeared from out of nowhere and exploded, creating a blinding light that forced the Emperor, Stingmon and MagnaAngemon to cover their eyes. Once the explosions stopped and light died down, the three lowered their arms and opened their eyes to see all the villagers had vanished.

"What happened? Where did they go?!" Ken asked in bewilderment. Stingmon stared at where the villagers were before intently.

"There's only one Digimon that I know with that attack and the ability to make an entire village of Digimon disappear in an instant," said the green insect man.

* * *

"Is everybody okay?" The villagers looked up at their savior, who was none other than Piximon, a small, yet powerful, Ultimate level fairy Digimon shaped like a small ball with pink fur, arms and legs. Four wings enabled him to fly above everybody and his right hand held a small spear with three spikes on the side of the handle. Piximon had used his magic to create an invisible barrier that allowed him to sneak into the village and save everybody. His only regret was not moving fast enough to save Dinohyumon and the Golemon from dying, but this was no time to mourn.

"We're fine," said Kiwimon, "but Dinohyumon…"

"I know," Piximon said with a frown. "But there'll be time to mourn later. My Pixie Barrier will take you straight to my home. It's protected by a powerful barrier, so the Digimon Emperor will not find you there."

"But what about you?" asked a Gotsumon. "Are you going to try and fight the Digimon Emperor and his slaves?"

"I would, but he's too strong right now for me," said Piximon. "I'm going to try and call in the Digidestined. They're the only ones that can fight the Digimon Emperor right now." The small Digimon flew out of the barrier and smacked it with his spear. The barrier gained speed and headed for where Piximon's house was. Once he was sure the barrier was safe, Piximon created another one around himself and flew into the sky, his eyes sweeping the landscape until he found what he was looking for: a television set, which sat in the forest and a good distance away from the Digimon Emperor.

"Finally," he breathed in relief, dropping his barrier and flying down in front of the TV, pressing a button on it.

"Come on, my friends…I know you can hear me. We need your help," Piximon muttered into the screen, hoping for his old students to get the message in the Human World. From what he had seen in the last two days, the Digidestined were the only ones that could stop the Digimon Emperor from taking over the entire Digital World.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

The sun shone brightly in Odaiba on a warm spring day, a sign of the summer that would come in June. The Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers were busy in school as their Digimon waited patiently for them to finish the day. Most of the smaller Digimon sat out in the trees in the courtyard as the day was pleasant.

However, one Digimon was not with the others. Impmon was in another tree that was situated near the second grade classrooms, where he could get a full view of Ai and Mako sitting together, learning their school lessons for the day. The purple devil looked on with an almost bored look, but deep in his thoughts, he was thinking about personal things.

Yesterday had been a crazy day for Impmon, as he had been fully returned to life after four years of being a ghost haunting the Fuji TV Station, and he was surprised at first, but he later became overjoyed as well, now that he could finally be with Ai and Mako again, as well as Gatomon. The rest of the day, the twins and Impmon caught up with each other, Ai and Mako telling him what had been happening since he was gone. Impmon was surprised when he learned two years had passed by in their home dimension while he had spent four years in the Digidestined's dimension, which led him to believe the time portal he and Leomon went through took them back in time to 1999.

Throughout most of last night, Ai and Mako played with Impmon and slept with him, and for the most part, he enjoyed it, but he still felt unsure of all of this. He was still not sure if he could be the Digimon partner they saw him to be, the Digimon he wanted to be for them.

He had been told how Ai and Mako insisted on coming here to this dimension to find him and be with him again, despite having no Digimon partner with them and needing to be protected by the other Tamers while here. He was surprised at how dedicated they were to being Tamers, how much they cared for him. But could he possibly care that much for them as well, so much for him to be able to Digivolve and protect them?

"Thinking about old times of your own?" Impmon was pulled out of his thoughts at the familiar voice, and he turned to see Gatomon standing on a branch in front of him. The white cat leapt forward and landed next to the purple demon, who suppressed a smirk toward his old friend.

"Oh, so you can read minds now?"

"No…I just know you that well," Gatomon smiled. Impmon chuckled before looking back to where the twins were, a slight frown on his face.

"I guess I've just been thinking about this whole thing with Ai and Mako," he answered. "From what I've understood about human-Digimon relations, they rely on each other for strength. Digimon rely on humans for strength and Digivolution, and the humans rely on Digimon for protection. I haven't known Ai and Mako long enough to rely on them, though they rely on me. I want to be able to be the Digimon they want…but I still don't understand it yet."

"Then why not ask for someone to help you out?" asked Gatomon. "Like me."

"You? Really?" Impmon asked, surprised. "You'd be willing to help me out?"

"Of course. You're my friend, after all," the white cat said with soft blue eyes. "You helped me unite with Kari all those years ago, Impmon. I'd be glad to help you out with Ai and Mako." Impmon was taken aback by Gatomon's genuine and sincere offer. He had been alone for most of his life in either dimension, never really sticking close to anyone. But Gatomon was the first true friend he ever had, as she had been alone most of her life due to abuse at the hands of Myotismon. She was right. Impmon did help her remember Kari, as a way to repay her for helping him out, and she seemed intent on repaying her own debt.

The purple devil smiled softly at his old friend. "I…I'd really…like that."

"Thanks," Gatomon said before her ears drooped. "At least I can help you, unlike Kari…"

"Huh?" Impmon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Something hasn't been right with Kari lately," the white cat sadly. "She's been having really bad dreams lately. She wakes up, screaming and sweating. Last night, I couldn't wake her up myself. I had to get Tai…"

"What's she dreaming about?" asked Impmon, concerned for her friend's partner.

"I don't know," said Gatomon. "She won't tell me or anybody. Takato may have an idea, but he says we have to let Kari tell us herself…but Kari's usually one to keep things to herself so she won't burden anyone else with her problems."

"That's stupid," Impmon scoffed. "I get she doesn't want anyone bothered by her problems, but you think she'd accept some help from her friends."

"I wish she would," Gatomon said. "She wants to become stronger so she won't have to be protected and rescued all the time, but she can't do it alone."

'Can't do it alone…' Impmon thought as he looked back to the classroom, where Ai was helping break up an argument between two second graders.

* * *

An hour later, Izzy had called everybody to his apartment, and he meant everybody. It was a tight squeeze, but the crowd of forty-two, twenty-one humans and twenty-one Digimon, managed to fit into the apartment.

"You know, if we're all going to be meeting like this, we need to find a bigger place to hold these meetings," Gomamon said, looking at the gathering.

"So I take it this meeting is about getting MagnaAngemon back?" TK asked immediately once everybody had settled in.

"Yes," Izzy nodded. "And thanks to an old friend of ours, we have an idea of where he currently is with Ken."

"What old friend?" asked Sora. Izzy turned the computer around and Tai's group of Digidestined gathered around the computer when they saw the familiar face on the screen.

"Piximon!" Mimi said in happiness. "It's really you, I can't believe it!"

"Man, we've missed you!" said Joe.

"I missed you kids as well," Piximon said with a laugh before turning serious again. "As I'm sure Izzy's told you already, I have information regarding the Digimon Emperor. If you come through the Digital Gate I'm at, I'll be able to tell you more."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

"All right," Tai nodded. "Piximon, you might want to move back, we don't want you to get squished when we come through."

"Gotcha!" Piximon flew away from the television screen until he was a good distance away.

"All right, you can come through now!"

"Let's move it!" TK said, eager to get his partner back. "Digital Gate, Open!" The light flashed open, and everybody held on tight as they entered the Digital World, finding themselves in a lush forest that led into a desert.

"OW! Get off me!" Impmon yelled, struggling in the pile of limbs. "Does this happen to you all the time?!"

"Usually, yes," Elecmon groaned, feeling Guilmon's elbow digging into his ribs.

"All right, hang on." Piximon flew over and grabbed Tai's hand, pulling the bushy-haired boy free with surprising strength. After several moments, everybody was free and were standing up, Tai and his group gathered around Piximon, who they were happy to see was reborn.

"Easy, easy!" the small Digimon laughed as he flew upwards. "I'm happy to see you all again, but I'm not one for group hugs. I'm too small for that!"

"Right, sorry," said Biyomon embarrassedly.

"Piximon, you said you had information on the Digimon Emperor and MagnaAngemon," said TK, turning serious. "Can you tell us what you know?"

"I will, but first…" Piximon motioned to Davis's team and the Tamers. "Who are these guys?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"I'm Davis," the burgundy haired boy introduced himself, as well as his other two teammates. "And this is Yolei and Cody."

"And I'm Takato, and these are my friends," Takato introduced himself and his friends. "We're Digimon Tamers."

"Digimon…Tamers?" Piximon asked confusedly. Izzy and Henry gave the fairy Digimon a fast tale of the Tamers, and Piximon was astonished.

"Amazing! Humans and Digimon from another dimension…I'd certainly love to know more!"

"Know more later," said Ryo. "Piximon, what do you know?"

"Right, this is what I know," said Piximon. "The last two days the Digimon Emperor has been taking over more areas in the Digital World at a faster pace than he usually does, thanks to MagnaAngemon. Any area he takes over, he takes out the defenders before conquering the area with a Control Spire and Dark Rings. Any Digimon that opposes him, the Emperor has MagnaAngemon use Heaven's Gate on them."

'Damn it…Ichijouji…' TK thought angrily.

"Do you know where they are now?" asked Renamon.

"I do," said Piximon. "They've been in this part of Server Continent lately taking over areas. I've been rescuing as many Digimon as I can from the Emperor, offering them sanctuary in my house, which is still protected by my Pixie Barrier, stronger than before I might add."

"Well, he's not lying," Izzy looked at the Digital World grid map, which showed a number of black squares around their current location. "Ken's been on a rampage."

"If he finishes taking over the Digital World, there's no telling what he could do next," Matt said gravelly.

"He could try and take over the Human World," said Kazu. "With MagnaAngemon alone…"

"Which is why this has to end today," said Davis. "Now that we're all together, we need to come up with a plan."

"Then let's go over what we know already," said Henry. "We're up against an Ultimate level Digimon that, at his strongest, can stand up to Mega level Digimon."

"And his attack can suck up his enemies like a vacuum cleaner, sending them to another dimension," added Davis.

"Not to mention it can also fire powerful blasts of energy," said Veemon.

"And there's also his Magna Antidote ability," said Takato. "Not only can he use it to restore people who have been cursed, but it also works has a healing ability."

"So he can heal if he gets damaged," said Izzy, looking up MagnaAngemon's profile on his computer. "Hmm…this could be a challenge."

"Well, we could have those that can, go to the Mega level," suggested Matt. "If MagnaAngemon's that powerful…"

"That'd be a little overkill," said Rika. "We should fight him with Ultimate levels only. Mega level will be our trump card if it comes to it."

"So that means everybody except Jeri, the twins, Yolei and Cody will be able to fight him," Ryo summed up.

"Hey, what does that mean?" Yolei asked, slightly offended. "Are you saying we shouldn't get involved in this fight?"

"Yes, because your Digimon aren't strong enough," said Rika. "Angel and Demon-type Digimon are in a completely different league than the Digimon you've been facing yet. You wouldn't last five minutes against an Ultimate, let alone a Mega, in your current form!"

"Hey! Are you saying I'm weak?!" Yolei snarled at the red-haired girl.

"Yolei, I don't think that's what Rika's saying at all," said Cody. "We are strong, but not strong enough to fight a Digimon that powerful."

"Rika's right Yolei," said Jeri. "I may not like it much, but unless we had the right kind of card combination, or some kind of powerful weapon to use on MagnaAngemon…" The brown-haired girl trailed off and Elecmon rubbed his partner's leg as a show of comfort.

Impmon had been quiet for most of the meeting, but Jeri's words sparked a memory in his mind, a memory from his time in Witchelny.

"MagnaAngemon may be strong, but he's still a Vaccine attribute Digimon," said Kazu. "We could use that to our advantage as best we can."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tai.

"Oh, I got it!" said Kenta. "In the Digimon video games, Digimon usually had an edge based on their attributes. Let me show you." The glasses-wearing boy positioned Betamon, Kokuwamon and Terriermon in a triangle before drawing lines connecting the Digimon together.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch ~Koshiro no Theme~)

"Okay, so here's how it goes. Betamon is a Virus attribute," he gestured to his partner, "Kokuwamon is a Data attribute and Terriermon is a Vaccine attribute." Kenta motioned to the other two Digimon. "Now, as a Virus, Betamon has an advantage over Kokuwamon, a Data attribute, but not so much against Terriermon, who is a Vaccine. And while Terriermon has an advantage over the Virus attribute Betamon, he's not so lucky against Kokuwamon, who is a Data attribute." The Digidestined listened intently to this information.

"So, it's Virus over Data, Data over Vaccine, and Vaccine over Virus," Izzy mused as he typed on his computer.

"Oh, I get it!" said Yolei. "It's like Rock-Paper-Scissors, right?"

"Something like that, yeah," said Kenta. Izzy typed intently on his computer, bringing up all the Ultimate level Digimon the Digidestined had in their arsenal currently.

"Hmm…" the red-haired boy grimaced slightly. "According to this, the only Ultimate levels we have that are Data attributes are Lillymon, Antylamon and Taomon. Kazu, Kenta, do your partners have Ultimate levels?"

"Yeah, Kokuwamon can become Andromon, and Betamon can become Whamon," answered Kazu. Izzy pulled up Whamon and Andromon's profiles, and grimaced again when he saw they were classified as Vaccine attribute Digimon.

"Okay, so we only have three Digimon with an attribute advantage against MagnaAngemon," said Davis, "but the rest of us can do as much damage as well. We can't give up that easily."

"He's right," said Tai. "We've been through worse than this, far worse. We can't hold back like when we fought MetalGreymon. Patamon is our friend."

"TK…are you okay with this?" Matt looked over to his brother. He knew TK had been traumatized when he saw Angemon die four years ago, and he was still feeling the scars to this day. "You know…we may have to do this…"

"I know…" TK muttered. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it…" The bearer of Hope wondered if they could save his partner without killing him. He wouldn't take it well if he had to see his partner die a second time in front of him.

"All right…if that's our battle plan, then let's get out there and find Ken," said Ryo. Everybody nodded and prepared to set out, when…

"Hold on!" Impmon called out, getting all eyes on him. "I may have another idea that could work as well."

"What is it, Impmon?" asked Ai.

"Do you remember the place I showed you in my memories yesterday, Witchelny?" Impmon received nods from everybody to answer his question. "Well, there's a weapon in Witchelny that's said to be able to cause great damage to Holy-type Digimon, which could give us an advantage against MagnaAngemon."

"Really?" asked Renamon. "What is this weapon?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"It's a sword called the Dashenbian," said Impmon. "It's said to be in the mountains of Witchelny, and, like I said before, it can give the wielder an incredible advantage over Holy-type Digimon, no matter the attribute."

"That does sound like a useful weapon, but do we have time for a scavenger hunt?" asked Terriermon. "Time is ticking!"

"I know that, Helicopter-head," said Impmon. "That's why we'll split up into two groups. I'll take Ai and Mako with me, along with Jeri, and the kids who are partnered with Feather-Brain and Shell-head, since they'd be targets for MagnaAngemon, and we'll go to Witchelny to get the Dashenbian, while the rest of you find Emperor boy and his pet bug and slave angel."

"I beg your pardon, but I prefer not to be called Feather-Brain," Hawkmon said indignantly.

"And I don't like Shell-head," Armadillomon said with a huff.

"He gives nicknames to most of us Digimon, just go with it," said Guilmon.

"But how are we even going to get to Witchelny?" asked Yolei. "I don't think it's on the grid map from what I've seen of it."

"That's because it requires a complex spell to go there," said Impmon. "I'll have to become Wizardmon and perform the spell in a different location. Then we'll get the sword and come back here."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Palmon.

"I think we should go for it," said Takato. "I trust Impmon on this."

"If it will help us fight MagnaAngemon, then what choice do we have?" replied Davis. "So it's agreed."

"Not just yet," said Rika. "I know Taomon is a Data attribute, but I think it'd be best if I go to Witchelny as well. I trust Jeri to help out the twins, but not the two rookie Digidestined."

"Hey!" Yolei and Cody said, annoyed at Rika insulting them again.

"If it's all the same, I think I'll come along as well," said Gatomon. "Impmon is my friend, and I wish to help him in any way I can."

"Can I come, too?" Calumon asked excitedly.

"Hey, I don't mind the extra company," Impmon shrugged before turning to everybody else. "So, are we agreed?"

"If it will help us greatly, then I guess so," said Izzy, getting nods from everybody.

"Hurry back as soon as you can," Tai said to the group heading for Witchelny.

"I promise we will," Kari said, giving her brother and boyfriend a quick hug before following after the small group breaking off for Witchelny.

"All right Piximon, show us the way to the Digimon Emperor," Takato said once Impmon's group was out of eyesight.

"Right this way!" Piximon flew off into the desert, the Digidestined and Tamers following right behind him.

* * *

"So where exactly do we need to open up a portal to Witchelny?" asked Mako after several minutes of walking in silence.

"Shouldn't be far from here," answered Impmon. "During my time in Witchelny, I developed a special sense that the Digimon from Witchelny possess. We can sense a strong magical energy in certain areas, and we can use our power to amplify that energy to create a portal to Witchelny. Where I'm sensing the energy is not far from here. We're almost there…" The purple demon felt something inside of him, and it was growing much larger by the moment before they came upon an opening in the forest.

"Here. This is where the energy is at its strongest," Impmon said, spreading his arms to show the place to everybody.

"An empty field?" Yolei asked skeptically.

"Yes," Impmon ran his hand over the grass before standing back up. "Ai, Mako…this is where you come in. In order for me to open a portal, I need to become Wizardmon. And in order for me to Digivolve, one of you has to use a card that will enable me to Digivolve."

"But…what card do we use?" Ai asked, looking through the small batch of Digimon cards that were in her pocket, unsure of what card to use. Mako looked through his own cards, but didn't have much luck.

"Here, use this card." Jeri offered a card from her deck. Written on it in kanji was 'Super-Evolution Plug-In S'. "This is the card we use to Digivolve our Digimon to Champion level. I have a lot more of these, so you can keep it."

"And this card will work?" asked Ai, taking the card from Jeri.

"It will work," said Rika. "You just have to believe it will work, Ai. And you too, Mako." The twins were silent as they looked up to Impmon, their partner giving an encouraging nod.

"All right. If you say we can do it…" Mako pulled out the D-Ark and offered it to his sister. Ai took the device in her free hand and held it up while holding the Digivolution card in the other hand.

"Here it goes…" Taking a deep breath, Ai swiped the card through the D-Ark's slot, while yelling out the words.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION…ACTIVATE!"

As the screen of the D-Ark lit up, the red mark on Calumon's forehead flashed brightly as well before a beam of light flew from the D-Ark and hit Impmon, who felt a familiar energy building up within him.

"IMPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WIZARDMON!" The light faded, and Impmon landed on the ground, once again in his Champion level. Wizardmon looked himself over before turning to his Tamers with a soft smile.

"Ai, Mako. Thank you. Now I can do this!" Raising his staff in the air, Wizardmon chanted a language that was unintelligible to everybody else, but they guessed it was a magical spell. As Wizardmon chanted, the staff's sun-shaped headpiece glowed golden, and a white ripple appeared in the air before tearing open wide, showing a giant green valley before everybody.

"The portal is open. Everybody, follow me!" The group nodded and walked through the portal. Once everybody had gone through the portal and were in the valley, Wizardmon waved his staff again and the portal closed.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"So…is this…Witchelny?" asked Cody, looking around the valley.

"This is merely a valley of green pastures," said Wizardmon. "Follow me, and you'll see it for yourself soon enough." The group nodded and began following the mage Digimon, Ai and Mako right by Wizardmon's side. As Jeri walked, she looked back to see Kari trudging slowly, a tired look on her face.

"Kari, are you all right?" the brown-haired Tamer asked, concerned for her friend's well-being. "You don't look like you've been sleeping well."

"No…I haven't…" Kari muttered. "I've…been having bad dreams lately…and I can't seem to tell what they are."

"Nightmares…I see," Jeri nodded sadly. "I've had my fair share, believe me…" The caramel-eyed girl repressed a shudder as she remembered an occasional nightmare she would have every now and then regarding her time as a captive and battery for the D-Reaper. While these nightmares happened occasionally, she had been getting through them with help from Takato, Rika, Calumon and her family. "If you ever need help, you don't have to keep it to yourself. You can come to me or anybody else…we'd be willing to help you. I know Tai and Davis especially would like to help you."

Kari smiled softly at the friendly gesture. "Thanks Jeri…but to be honest, I'm not sure if anyone can help me out yet. I don't fully understand them myself…" Jeri merely nodded and let her mind wander. As she heard Kari talk about her nightmares, she couldn't help but think about a similar situation in the alternate TV show. Could these nightmares possibly be the same?

* * *

The group followed Wizardmon for a few more minutes before they came upon a hill going down, and what they saw at the bottom surprised them.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanshou)

Down below was a village filled with numerous houses that were a mix of cottages and modern-day living places. Several farms were peppered around the landscape, and they could make out several Digimon below.

"That's it," said Wizardmon. "That's Witchelny."

"Wow…it's amazing," Gatomon breathed in slight awe.

"Ooh, look at all the pretty houses!" Calumon said excitedly.

"Is that where the sword is?" asked Yolei.

"No," Wizardmon said with a shake of his head before reverting to Impmon. "The Dashenbian resides in the mountains, like I said before. But we cannot fly there without special help. The path to the mountains of Witchelny is a treacherous one. We are here to acquire proper transportation to the mountains."

"Let's go then," Cody said immediately. "We're wasting time here. The others have probably engaged Ken by now."

"If they have, then they can hold out long enough," Rika said, taking the lead with Impmon. "You really shouldn't be so cynical and underestimating our friends all the time."

"I'm not…" Cody started to say, but Rika was already going down the hill.

"Well, that's just rude," Yolei said with a huff. Cody nodded in agreement, glaring at Rika's back lightly. What was the deal with Rika, and why did she seem to have it out for him and Yolei? She didn't seem this rude to the other Digidestined, so why them?

"The place we're looking for is several miles from here…" Impmon started before the temperature suddenly dropped down to freezing and the winds kicked up slightly. Most of the group shivered slightly and hugged themselves from the sudden cold. Impmon sighed however, knowing what this meant, while Calumon laughed at the falling snow.

"Yay! Snowball fight!"

"What's going on here?! Where did this snowstorm come from?!" asked Yolei.

"Calm down. It's not the first time this has happened," Impmon said calmly. Seconds later, everybody was ankle-deep in snow, and the white stuff covered the tops of their heads and bodies once the mini storm died down. A chuckle from the side made the group of children and Digimon look over to see a white-robed Wizardmon holding a snow staff leaning on a nearby building, his staff held out and an amused look on his covered face.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Impmon no Theme)

"You still playing blizzard pranks on people, Sorcerimon?" Impmon asked, shaking snow off his head before lighting up his finger on fire and moving the flame around, melting the snow on his Tamers.

"No, I've gotten out of that," Sorcerimon said, pushing himself off the building and walking over to the small group. "But when I sensed your entry in the valley nearby, I thought I'd give you a welcome back present after being away from Witchelny for so long, brother. Besides, you should be glad it was me. FlameWizardmon sensed your presence a wanted to give you the gift, but I insisted on giving you the gift."

"Well, in that case I'm glad it was you," said Impmon.

"What would FlameWizardmon's gift have been?" asked Jeri.

"He would have lit all your asses on fire…literally," Impmon answered, making the girls' faces redden with embarrassment and Mako and Cody look uneasy.

"Anyway, we need a few Hippogriffomon to ride up to the mountains," Impmon turned back to Sorcerimon. "We're here on very important business."

"Ah…I see," Sorcerimon nodded, his expression turning serious. "I can take you to the stables where the Hippogriffomon reside, but first, I think there are a couple of people that want to see you Impmon."

"Right now?" asked Impmon, unsure about what Sorcerimon was saying. "We're on a bit of a time crunch here."

"I can tell, but I promise you it shall not take long." Sorcerimon turned around and began leading the group towards a small cottage near the barns. In a garden that was near the cottage, a human-looking woman wearing red clothing and a red hat, with a black cat by her side, was tending to the mass of land when she looked up and saw the small group walking forward, and her face lit up when she saw Impmon. The woman ran over and scooped up the purple demon in her arms, surprising everybody except Impmon and Sorcerimon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Itsumo no Seikatsu)

"Oh, my son! I can't believe you're back after so long!" the woman said happily, squeezing Impmon and eliciting a few chuckles from those who knew Impmon well.

"Could you please take it easy…Mother?" the imp asked, wriggling out of Witchmon's grip. "I have an image to maintain in front of my friends and partners!" Impmon jumped on the ground and looked over to the snickering group.

"Not one word of this to the others, or I'll light a real fire under all your asses!" he said, getting more chuckles.

"Since when do you light people on fire?" a red robed Digimon identified as FlameWizardmon rounded the corner of the hut and smirked at Impmon. "I thought that was my schtick."

"Hey, I can make fire as well!" Impmon said, lighting a fireball on his finger before snuffing it out again. "Plus, my Champion level is skilled in fire magic as well as earth magic!"

"Really? Then why do you shoot lightning out of your staff?" FlameWizardmon asked with a smirk. Impmon and the flaming wizard glared at each other before Impmon began laughing, much to the confusion of his friends.

"Man, I missed you!" the little demon said between chuckles.

"Okay…I'm confused," Armadillomon looked up to Sorcerimon, who chuckled at the interaction between his two brothers.

"They like to have a good laugh at each other's expense."

"Oh…" Hawkmon said, looking at the two Digimon before asking, "So how are they brothers if Witchmon found Impmon in the desert?"

"Witchmon adopted me into her family," explained Impmon. "They took care of me while I lived here and trained in Witchelny."

"Impmon was definitely a rambunctious little Digimon when he was in our family," Witchmon chuckled as she rubbed Impmon's head, much to his chagrin. "You must be his friends. Come in, come! You look like you could do with some food."

"Witchmon, we appreciate the offer, but we are on a very important job here," Cody said immediately. "We don't have time right now to eat food…"

"Actually Cody, I am pretty hungry," Armadillomon interrupted, holding his growling, empty stomach. "I haven't had much to eat since you gave me some of your lunch."

"As have I," said Hawkmon, imitating Armadillomon's movements. "Yolei did not seem to have her usual sack of food for us."

"Sorry about that," Yolei said sheepishly. "We were really busy today after yesterday's blackout."

"Oh, do come in!" Witchmon opened her door and gestured for everybody to enter. "It does look like you're in the middle of something important, but it would be best for you to eat first, and maybe talk a little. If you tell us what's going on, maybe we can help you."

"You wouldn't mind helping us?" asked Gatomon.

"Not at all," said Sorcerimon. "It has been a long time since we've last seen Impmon, and we'd definitely like to know you all."

"Okay, but let's make it fast then," said Rika. The children followed Witchmon into the hut and FlameWizardmon and Sorcerimon were the last ones to enter, the latter closing the door so the group could have some privacy.

* * *

"SOUL VANISHER!" MagnaAngemon's purple sword glowed right as he swung it around, releasing blades of energy that tore through a number of Digimon that were trying to attack the Digimon Emperor. The Digimon were all Bakemon and Vegiemon, with a few Tyrannomon, but they all fell easily to the angel Digimon's power, dissolving to data as the Emperor laughed at the scene.

"You fools want to oppose me, I see. Then die like the fools that you are!" The Digimon Emperor laughed evilly as MagnaAngemon sliced the head off a Tyrannomon before destroying the last of the opposing Digimon. Once MagnaAngemon finished off the resistance, a Control Spire appeared several feet away.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

As the Spire went up, Stingmon could only watch in sorrow as Ken laughed evilly at the slaughter.

'Ken…you've got to stop this,' he thought. He knew he was to blame for this. All this time, he believed since he was Ken's partner, he was to stand by him and assist him, no matter what his partner did. He had done nothing to prevent Millenniummon's control over Ken grow stronger. Rather, he only accelerated Ken's fall into darkness.

His mind went back to two days ago when he confronted Renamon in the base, and the golden fox's words still rang fresh.

" _Being a partner is about more than just standing by them and fighting for them. It's also to keep them from doing what you know is wrong. If you know what Ken is doing is wrong, then you need see to it that you do something to return him to who he was."_

Seeing what was happening now, Stingmon finally understood. He had always wanted to show his love for Ken by doing what was best for him…and now…he had to do what was best for Ken, no matter how much Ken would disapprove of it. What he was about to do would very much lead to his end, but if it would help Ken see the light, then so be it.

"Ken…we need to talk," the insect man said, walking forward.

"Not now Stingmon, I need to figure out where we should go next to put a Control Spire," Ken snapped, looking down at the map on his D-3. "Let's see…there's a massive village over there…"

"DESOLATION CLAW!" A loud draconian roar tore through the area and a beam of energy flew out of the sky and hit the Control Spire, which disintegrated from the powerful attack.

"That attack…!" Ken growled as he looked up to see Cyberdramon and Paildramon land several feet away from him, Ryo and Davis on their shoulders.

"That's enough Ken!" Davis yelled, jumping off Paildramon and glaring at his old friend. "You're going to stop this crap right now and come home with us!"

"Are you still going on that?" Ken asked with a scoff as he walked forward. "I told you, this will not stop until I have the entire Digital World in peace, and I have your heads under my boots, begging me to show you mercy for leaving me alone!"

"No Ken, you're not bringing peace at all, and we will not surrender to you. You know us too well," Ryo said, pulling out the Crest of Kindness and holding it up for Ken to see.

"Where…where did you get that?!" Ken gasped, recognizing his old pendant. "How did you get that?!"

"From your room this morning," said Ryo, holding the Crest out pleadingly. "Ken…this isn't you, and you know it. I didn't want this to happen to you. We didn't want this to happen."

"You have every right to be angry at us," Davis said solemnly. "We did leave you alone, but we never meant to. You risked your life to save us from Millenniummon's Dark Spore, and it hit you instead of us. Maybe if we had been there for you, none of this would have happened. Ken, please stop this. We're trying to save you…" The burgundy-haired boy's voice cracked as he finished talking, but he did not dare to let any tears fall. He had to be strong for his team and for his friends, especially for Ken.

"Ken…it's over," Ryo said, holding out the Crest again for Ken to take, a rather defeated look on his face. "Please come back." Ken's eyes couldn't be seen through his glasses, but the expression on his face made it seem like he was letting Ryo and Davis's words sink in.

"I told you…it's too late," Ken said softly with a glare. "There is only one way this all ends."

"…I guess so," Ryo sighed, knowing what was coming next. "Cyberdramon! Paildramon!" Both dragon Digimon stepped forward, prepared to fight.

"You actually think your partners stand a chance against Stingmon and MagnaAngemon?" Ken asked skeptically as his own Digimon stepped forward. Davis couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Come on Ken…did you really think we would come alone?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Action)

"FLOWER CANNON!" The voice rang from above and green energy shells slammed into MagnaAngemon. The winged Digimon yelled in surprise from the surprise attack, and Lillymon flew down, continuing the assault on MagnaAngemon. Stingmon attempted to stop Lillymon with his Moon Shooter, but the fairy Digimon rolled out of the way before kicking MagnaAngemon back.

"He's all yours, Rapidmon!"

"All right!" A blur of green appeared in front of MagnaAngemon, and Rapidmon raised his arms in the air.

"TRI-BEAM!" The green laser blasted MagnaAngemon further back, but the green cyborg was not done yet.

"MIRACLE MISSILE!" The missiles flew from the revolver on Rapidmon's back, and engulfed MagnaAngemon in an explosion of fire and smoke.

"SOUL VANISHER!" The blades of energy flew from the smoke, but Rapidmon expertly dodged every one of them with his speed.

"Okay Antylamon, get the drop on him!"

"As you command, Rapidmon!" Antylamon dropped down from the sky and landed in front of MagnaAngemon, who had emerged from the smoke and gasped when he saw the Deva in front of him, her hands becoming giant axes.

"BUNNY BLADES!" The axes made deep cuts in MagnaAngemon's chest, and the Ultimate level screamed in surprise and pain before Antylamon followed it with a massive punch to the face, disorienting him.

"DESPERADO BLASTER!" Paildramon leapt up and fired his bullets at MagnaAngemon, hoping to hit the Spiral, but the black device was protected by the beam shield on his left arm.

"Agh! I forgot about his beam shield!" Davis cursed to himself, realizing the Spiral was in a difficult place to be broken.

"WarGrowlmon, drop him now!" called Cyberdramon. A large shadow appeared above the dazed MagnaAngemon. The angel Digimon looked up in surprise to see Whamon, the Ultimate level of Kenta's partner land on top of him. WarGrowlmon landed next to Whamon, and the whale's mouth opened up to reveal the other Digidestined and the Tamers inside.

"We've had it up to here with you, Ken! You're finished!" yelled Tai.

"On the contrary," Ken said with a smirk as he pulled out his whip. "MagnaAngemon may be powerful, but I know he's still just one Ultimate level!" The whip snapped in the air, the ground began rumbling before five columns of sand burst into the air, revealing five Digimon all wearing Dark Spirals: A black and grey dinosaur with metal pieces all over his body, a giant yellow and white teddy bear, a small grey ball-shaped Digimon with arms and legs, a white skeletal Digimon that looked like a scorpion, and a tall man with grey skin and black pants, blue flames rising off his body and chains wrapped around his body.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"Monzaemon and SkullMeramon!" Mimi gasped, recognizing the teddy bear and flaming man instantly. "But who are the other Digimon?"

"Bad news all around," Takato grimaced, pulling out his D-Ark to scan the three Digimon the Digidestined did not know.

"MetalTyrannomon. A Virus attribute Cyborg Digimon, Ultimate level. He was designed for anti-ground interception, and his offensive power is terrifying. His special attacks are a missile from his right hand, Giga Destroyer II, and a beam from his left hand, Nuclear Laser."

"Mamemon. Mutant Digimon, Data attribute. Ultimate level. He looks small and cute, but he's a very powerful Digimon. His special attack is Smiley Bomb."

"SkullScorpiomon. Insect Digimon, Data attribute. Ultimate level. He's a deadly Digimon known as the Assassin of the Desert. His special attacks are Blackout, a mist that blinds his opponents, and Poison Pierce, where he attacks with his tail, which is laced with extreme poison!"

"You are right Ryo," said Ken. "This will end today, but not in the way you think it will!"

Everybody in Whamon yelled in surprise as they felt Whamon shake and be lifted off the ground.

"Whamon, what are you doing?!" Kenta called to his partner. "Why are you floating off the ground?!"

"It's not me!" said Whamon. With incredible strength, MagnaAngemon threw the massive Digimon aside, the whale's passengers falling to the sandy floor of the desert.

"MAGNA ANTIDOTE!" MagnaAngemon glowed brightly as he crossed his arms in front of him, and the wound he received healed, his energy returning as well.

The Digidestined and the Tamers could only grimace at the Digimon that surrounded them. This battle would not be an easy one.

* * *

"…and so, we need to reach the mountains here so we can get the Dashenbian," finished Gatomon. The Witchelny team were seated around a table where Witchmon offered them a vegetable stew with bread, made with food from Witchmon's own garden. The group was amazed by the delicious taste of the food. As they ate, they explained their reasons for coming to Witchelny, as well as the Digimon Emperor.

"Ah…I see…" Witchmon said with a nod, her face showing a tired look. "Some of the Digimon here in Witchelny often go to the Digital World, and they find out a great many things while there. So is it true that a human is taking over the Digital World?"

"Yes, but not of his own free will," said Jeri. "The Digimon Emperor has had a tragic life, and dark forces have taken advantage of his sadness and are controlling him for their own purposes."

"That is truly unforgiveable," FlameWizardmon said with a growl. "To take advantage of one's misery…"

"And you are saying that he has a powerful angel Digimon as his newest slave," said Sorcerimon. This was not said as a question, but as a statement.

"Yes. Which is why we have come here," said Elecmon. "Impmon said the Dashenbian is effective against Holy-type Digimon."

"He is correct, but it is not easy to get to it," answered Sorcerimon. "Are you sure you want to get the sword?"

"We are sure," said Gatomon, a determind look on her face. "That sword could give us the upper hand against MagnaAngemon." Sorcerimon looked over to the rest of the group, who shared Gatomon's determined look.

"Very well then," the white-clothed Digimon said, standing up from his seat. "I'll see what I can do about getting some Hippogriffomon for you to ride on." Sorcerimon walked out of the hut and the rest of the group began talking amongst themselves. As they talked, Witchmon looked over to see Impmon laughing at a joke with Ai and Mako, and the sight made the red clothed woman smile lightly.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"So…you took in Impmon as your own son when he came here to Witchelny," Gatomon said, sitting down next to Witchmon.

"Yes…just seeing him in that condition he was in when I found him in the desert made me want to care for him like I did Sorcerimon and FlameWizardmon, and I was impressed by his fortitude to continue even when he was hurt. He also stayed at my house and I cared for him and helped him when he needed it. Eventually, he became like my son. It's good to see Impmon truly happy now."

"What does that mean?" Gatomon asked curiously. "Was he never happy during his time in Witchelny?"

"Oh, he was happy," Witchmon rephrased her earlier saying, "but he never seemed truly happy. While he would have a good laugh over something, like pranking someone or eating good food, or learning more about Witchelny…it always was a bit of a mask. Impmon was always frustrated over not being able to remember his past, especially whatever it was he was looking for. Because of it, he felt he never truly belonged here."

"Oh…that's so sad…" Kari said with a sad frown, looking over to the laughing Impmon. "But…he doesn't look like he's faking his happiness now."

"No, I suppose not," Witchmon said with a chuckle. "I guess regaining your memories and reuniting with who you're finding can do that do you."

"I suppose so…" Gatomon said, looking over to her friend as well. It truly did warm her heart to see Impmon with his partners again after so long. It reminded her of her search for Kari, and forgetting about her in the process while working for Myotismon. Thanks to Impmon, Gatomon remembered Kari and finally united with her. The white cat would always be grateful to Impmon for that.

"I managed to get you some Hippogriffomon," Sorcerimon said, walking back into the hut. "They're ready whenever you are."

"Well…shall we go, then?" Impmon asked, receiving nods from everybody.

"It would be best that we go now," Cody voiced as everybody left the hut for where Sorcerimon said the Hippogriffomon were.

* * *

As the name suggested, the Hippogriffomon, which Rika noted were Ultimate level Digimon, bore a resemblance to the mythical creature the Hippogriff. Their bodies were entirely white, with purple stripes on their torsos and legs, and golden pendants around their necks. The children mounted the winged Digimon with help from the Hippogriffomon's caretakers: Goblimon, green Digimon that looked like mini Ogremons with orange mohawks, and Candlemon, small Digimon that resembled a living candle.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Wonderland)

"Now you want to have a firm grip on his neck, and tuck your legs behind his front legs," one Goblimon instructed Rika, the red-haired girl following the instructions carefully. "This way, you'll be able to fly easily without worrying about slipping."

"I think I got it," Rika said, feeling Renamon climb on board.

"Okay…okay…WOAH!" Yolei yelped as she attempted to mount her Hippogriffomon, but slipped and fell on her back. The Candlemon helping Yolei could only groan in embarrassment. This was the fifth time in a row this had happened.

"Hey, grape-head! Quit monkeying around!" called Impmon, who had already mounted and was making sure Ai and Mako were secure on the Digimon's back.

"I'm not monkeying around, this is just a little harder than riding Halsemon!" Yolei called back, finally mounting her Hippogriffomon, only to turn around when she realized she was on backwards.

"If we are all mounted safely then, let us away!" Elecmon said once everyone had seated on the Hippogriffomon.

"All right, you boys are ready to go!" A nearby Goblimon said, throwing a fireball in the air from his club that exploded in the air. The Hippogriffomon screeched loudly and charged forward, their passengers yelping in surprise from the acceleration. The white feathered Digimon spread their massive wings and flapped them, taking off for the mountains where the Dashenbian was.

"Good luck, my son…" Witchmon whispered as she watched the Hippogriffomon with Impmon and the twins fly farther away from her distance. She failed to mention that receiving the Dashenbian would be a difficult challenge, but she knew her son had the strength to get the sword. He was not alone, and surely, he knew that as well as she did.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Power of Earth ~Iori no Theme~)

The Hippogriffomon flew high in the skies to reach their destination. The mountains of Witchelny were among the tallest mountains anybody saw. While their height couldn't compare to the height of Infinity Mountain, they were still certainly tall enough to make their passengers feel slightly woozy from the thinning air.

"Are we there yet…?" Ai asked the age-old question after ten minutes of flying, feeling light-headed. "I feel funny…"

"We're high up in the air, so you're probably feeling funny from the thin air!" Kari called out. "Trust me, I feel that way when I'm on Nefertimon!"

"Don't worry!" called the Hippogriffomon carrying Cody and Armadillomon. "We're almost there!" Before long, the winged Digimon dropped down on small rocky field on a mountain. The field was large enough for all the Hippogriffomon to land and walk around while waiting for their charges to return. Upon dismounting, the group noticed a rocky road leading to a large set of metal doors.

"That's it," Impmon pointed to the doors. "That's where the Dashenbian is." The demon Digimon took the lead, and the group walked down the path. Once they reached the doors, Impmon walked over and knocked on the doors, hollow banging coming from the knocking.

"Hello! Open up in there! We're here for the Dashenbian!" Impmon called out. No answer came out and after several minutes, Yolei let out a groan of frustration.

"Agh! I can't believe it! Those Hippogriffomon took us to the wrong place!"

"No, they didn't," Impmon said as he tried to open the doors, but they refused to budge. "This is the right place. But nobody seems to be answering us!"

"Maybe…they went out to lunch?" Armadillomon joked. Nobody laughed, and the yellow mammal Digimon took that as initiative to quiet down.

"Hello in there!" Ai called out. A loud rumbling suddenly sounded from the doors, and everybody backed away when the doors opened up, revealing darkness inside. Everybody stood tense for a moment until a pair of yellow orbs appeared in mid-air. The orbs came closer, and they were soon revealed to be eyes belonging to a Digimon whose face was hidden by a yellow hood he wore on his head. He wore a red cloak over his body and yellow wings sprouted from his back. All of the Digimon partners except for Impmon stood protectively in front of their partners.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"Relax, it's Wisemon," said the small demon. "He's more a scholar than he is a fighter."

"Greetings, Impmon," said Wisemon. "Greetings, all of you."

"You know why we're here, don't you?" asked Renamon.

"I do," Wisemon nodded. "You seek the Dashenbian sword."

"Yes," said Elecmon. "And it's imperative that we get the sword as soon as possible. Do you know where it is?"

"I do know where it is," Wisemon nodded. "I am one of the Digimon that guard the Dashenbian sword. But I cannot simply give it to you." The scholar Digimon then turned his gaze to Impmon. "If you wish to wield the Dashenbian, then you must accept the price for it."

"What is this price?" Gatomon asked with narrowed ears.

"You must pass a test," said Wisemon, still looking at Impmon as he spoke, "if you are to prove yourself worthy of the sword."

"A test?" Cody asked in slight annoyance. "We don't have time for tests. Our friends are in trouble as we speak right now…"

"And I am sure they can handle themselves," Wisemon cut him off, "but this test is important. The Dashenbian is a sword that cannot be wielded by just anybody. It can only be wielded by somebody who is of strong heart and mind, and to prove it, they must pass a test."

"How long will this test be?" asked Kari.

"As long as it is necessary," answered Wisemon. "I have to ask you Impmon…will you do this?" The purple demon sighed and thought it over. He wasn't sure if this test would be short or not, or how long the others would be able to fight off the Digimon Emperor and MagnaAngemon, but the sword was important and they needed it. And if Impmon had to take a test to get it, then he would do it.

"All right, I'll take the test."

"Excellent," Wisemon stepped off to the side and gestured to the inside of the hallway. "Come this way, then." The group began walking forward with Impmon, Ai and Mako in the lead. Before they could enter the hallway, Wisemon stepped between Impmon and the twins, and the rest of the team.

"I am sorry, but this test is for only Impmon, so therefore, only his partners can come in with him," the scholar stated. "The rest of you will have to wait out here."

"Are you serious?" asked Yolei. Rika and Jeri nodded to acknowledge Wisemon, and stepped back with their partners. Yolei and Cody moved back as well with Hawkmon, Armadillomon and Kari, but Gatomon stayed where she stood.

"I'm coming in as well," the white cat said with a glare sent to Wisemon. "Impmon is my best friend. He has helped me in the past, and I vowed to help him as well. Either you let me in, or I make you." Wisemon merely looked down at Gatomon, his expression hidden by his darkened face.

"Gatomon…" Impmon breathed, touched slightly by Gatomon's display of friendship.

"Your words ring true, and I admire your loyalty," Wisemon finally said. "Very well, you and your partner shall come as well."

"Good," Gatomon turned to her partner. "Come on, Kari." The bearer of Light nodded and walked forward. Wisemon stepped aside so the chosen ones could enter the hallway. Once Kari was in, Wisemon floated back into the hall, and the doors swung shut of their own accord.

"All we can do now is wait," Renamon stated. The kitsune walked over to a tree and sat down cross-legged in the shade, closed her eyes, and began to meditate.

"Is she serious? All we can do is wait?" Yolei asked, slightly annoyed.

"I believe so," said Elecmon. "If this sword is as important as Impmon says it is, then we must be patient and have faith in our friends. This Dashenbian sword sounds like a weapon of great power that must not be used so recklessly."

"But are you sure this is the right idea?" asked a skeptical Cody. "Can we even trust Impmon to get the sword?"

"Of course, we can trust Impmon!" Jeri said, offended at Cody's lack of trust in Ai and Mako's partner. "He's a partner Digimon!" Cody merely grunted a little before walking away. Finding a stick on the ground, he picked it up and began swinging it like a shinai.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ankoku~Kibou)

Wisemon led Impmon, Gatomon and their partners down the hallway, which had lit up the moment the doors closed. Lightning up the hallway were Mokumon, small Digimon that looked like puffs of smoke with small flames on their tops, and DemiMeramon, small fireball-shaped Digimon that were the evolved form of Mokumon.

"So, where do we take this test?" Impmon asked after several minutes of walking.

"Almost there," Wisemon said simply, leading the group into a room filled with books and other stuff, such as beakers, serums and more.

"Is this a library?" asked Ai.

"Seems appropriate. I mean, we have to take a test, right?" asked Mako. "What kind of questions are on this test?"

"I don't think it's that kind of test," Gatomon told the twins, both looking confused at the white cat.

"She is correct." Wisemon pressed his hand on a bare wall in the room, and wall vanished, revealing a dark tunnel inside. "This tunnel is where your test will happen. In this test, you shall be confronted by three memories from your past. They will simply be memories, but they will be like real Digimon. In order to defeat these memories and pass the test Impmon, you must do it with a strong heart and with those by your side." Impmon looked over to Ai, Mako, Gatomon and Kari with a set look on his face.

"Okay then…let's do this." Impmon took in a deep breath and was the first to enter the tunnel, Ai and Mako following close behind, and Gatomon and Kari taking up the rear.

"I bid you good luck." Those were Wisemon's final words before the wall rose up again, plunging the tunnel into pitch blackness.

"Well, here goes nothing," Kari said, getting unseen nods from everybody. Impmon continued leading the way down the tunnel, unsure but prepared for whatever memories the test had for him.

* * *

"Everybody," Tai pulled out his Digivice and everybody else whose partners hadn't Digivolved yet mimicked his movements, "Digivolve now!"

(Play Digimon: EVO)

Six flashes of light filled the area, and MetalGreymon, WereGarurumon, Garudamon, MegaKabuterimon, Zudomon and Andromon stood ready for battle.

"I'll take care of Mamemon! You guys take care of the other Digimon!" Piximon broke off from the group and began fighting Mamemon, who was roughly the same size as the small winged Digimon. Piximon swung his spear around, and Mamemon deflected the strike with his red gloved hands. The small Digimon punched Piximon in the face, but the experienced fighter regained his balance by spreading his wings and taking flight, ramming into Mamemon and flying into the air. The fairy Digimon threw Mamemon down to the sandy floor, but received a surprise when Mamemon stopped falling about three feet above the ground and flew right back at him, his fist glowing brightly.

"SMILEY BOMB!" Mamemon swung his arm around and released a red ball of energy at Piximon, who countered with his own bomb attack.

"PIT BOMB!" The two attacks collided in an explosion that knocked both Digimon for a loop, but they both regained their balance and continued clashing in the sky, Mamemon's fists meeting Piximon's spear with every strike.

* * *

"GIGA DESTROYER II!" MetalTyrannomon raised his right arm in the air and fired a massive shark-shaped missile at the Digidestined and Tamers, forcing them to scatter.

"GIGA DESTROYER!"

"SPIRAL SWORD!"

MetalGreymon and Andromon's attacks blasted MetalTyrannomon back, but it was clear from the smoke clearing, the cyborg dinosaur would be a challenge. MetalTyrannomon roared at the two opponents and charged forward, clashing his claws with MetalGreymon's and pushing him back, but MetalGreymon planted his feet firmly in the ground as Andromon leapt up and wrapped his arms around MetalTyrannomon's neck in an attempt to pull him away from MetalGreymon.

* * *

"Lillymon, Rapidmon, take care of Monzaemon!" WereGarurumon called as he ran over to help Paildramon, Antylamon and Cyberdramon fight MagnaAngemon. "I can help with – UGH!" The werewolf was suddenly knocked off his feet by a hot piece of metal. Sitting up with a groan, WereGarurumon saw SkullMeramon running towards him, his chain swinging around in his hands, blue flames flying off it.

"HEAT CHAIN!" The chain came swinging down, but WereGarurumon was prepared this time and rolled out of the way of the flailing weapon. The beast man growled, realizing he would have to fight SkullMeramon first if he wanted to get to MagnaAngemon.

"HEAT CHAIN!"

"GARURU KICK!" WereGarurumon swung his powerful leg around as the chain came swinging again, and he kicked it aside before charging forward and knocking SkullMeramon back with his Wolf Claw. He landed on the ground, grunting in pain from the flames he touched when he attacked SkullMeramon.

"HORN BUSTER!" MegaKabuterimon flew down and rammed his horn into SkullMeramon, knocking the flaming man away before he could strike WereGarurumon again.

"Let's double team him!" the massive red insect said to his friend. "When I give you the signal, go for the Spiral. My shell can take the heat of the flames for a short time!"

"I gotcha," WereGarurumon grunted, turning his sights back for SkullMeramon.

* * *

"HEARTS ATTACK!" Monzaemon crossed his arms in an X-formation in front of his chest before extending them, releasing a number of pink hearts at Lillymon, Garudamon and Rapidmon. Garudamon held up her arms in front of her face to protect herself, as her size made her unable to move fast enough to dodge the hearts, while Lillymon and Rapidmon used their smaller size and rapid speed to weave and dodge their way through to the teddy bear. Rapidmon fired his missiles to take out any hearts protecting Monzaemon, allowing Lillymon to kick him in the head.

"You really want to go a second round with me, Monzaemon?" Lillymon asked with a smirk, remembering the last time she fought Monzaemon. It was the first time she had Digivolved to the Champion level and she fought Monzaemon, who was controlled by one of Devimon's Black Gears, and despite the fact that she was a Champion level going up against an Ultimate level in the form of Monzaemon, she won the fight by herself, knocking the Black Gear out of Monzaemon's body. "I should let you know, it will be worse than last time!"

"BOOM-BEAR PUNCH!" The teddy bear swung his paws at Lillymon in an attempt to knock the fairy Digimon to the ground, but Lillymon dodged the attack and flew up, allowing Garudamon to strike with her Shadow Wing, the flaming bird knocking Monzaemon off his feet. The yellow bear Digimon stood back up and growled at the three opposing Digimon, intent on taking them down for his master, the Digimon Emperor.

* * *

"POISON PIERCE!" SkullScorpiomon lashed out at WarGrowlmon with his pointed tail, which was laced with poison. The cyborg dinosaur grabbed the stinger and held it at arm's length with the skeletal Digimon snapped at him with his pincers. Fortunately, Whamon was on hand, thanks to a levitation card from Kenta that allowed Whamon to battle without needing to be in water.

"JET ARROW!" A stream of water flew out of Whamon's blowhole and blasted SkullScorpiomon away, saving WarGrowlmon from being poisoned.

"Now, WarGrowlmon! While he's disoriented!" called Takato. WarGrowlmon nodded and began charging up his cannons. However SkullScorpimon managed to shake off the water attack and opened up his mouth.

"BLACKOUT!" A black mist flew from his mouth and enveloped WarGrowlmon and Whamon. WarGrowlmon yelled as the effects of the mist took him over, destroying his sight temporarily. All he could see was black nothingness. He couldn't see, but he could still hear everything going around him.

"Takato, I can't see!" the cyborg Digimon yelled to his partner. "It's all dark!"

"It's only temporary WarGrowlmon, but be careful!" Takato called out, seeing SkullScorpiomon vanish into the sand. "He may be coming around to attack you from behind!"

"Behind?" WarGrowlmon turned around to the sound of the sand behind him shuffling, but because of the mist, he was still blind. He could hear SkullScorpiomon burst from the ground and Takato telling him that he was right in front of him, but he could tell he wouldn't move fast enough to strike back…

"JET ARROW!" Whamon's voice sounded, and WarGrowlmon could hear SkullScorpiomon yell in surprise as he flew away from him, and WarGrowlmon knew that Whamon had managed to save him from being stabbed.

"Whamon, how were you able to hit him?" Kenta asked in surprise as his partner rammed into the skeletal insect. "I thought he hit you with his Blackout attack."

"He did, but technically, I don't have eyes!" Whamon said as he swung around and smacked SkullScorpiomon with his massive tail. As the sea animal fought SkullScorpiomon, WarGrowlmon blinked rapidly as his vision began clearing up. A few moments more, and he would be able to see what he was doing again.

* * *

"BUNNY BLADES!" Antylamon charged for MagnaAngemon again, her arms once again sharp axes. The Deva Digimon slashed and hacked at her opponent, but MagnaAngemon was able to block and parry the blows with his sword and shield before unleashing a Soul Vanisher that caught Antylamon in the eyes, temporarily blinding her and allowing MagnaAngemon to knock down the Deva with a punch.

"STING STRIKE!" Paildramon extended the blades on his wrists, slashing and stabbing at MagnaAngemon in an attempt to get the Dark Spiral, but the angel Digimon moved fast and parried each strike, though Paildramon was able to get in several cuts on his foe. Paildramon then leapt back as Cyberdramon flew around and bit MagnaAngemon, his teeth sinking into his left shoulder.

"ARG!" MagnaAngemon roared in pain from the bite and flapped his wings to fly, rolling around in an attempt to throw him off. Eventually Cyberdramon was thrown off, but a chunk of MagnaAngemon's shoulder was ripped off, and he was bleeding. The wound proved a minor annoyance as the angel Digimon healed himself again with Magna Antidote. Unfortunately, this exposed him to Cyberdramon's next attack.

"DESOLATION CLAW!" The energy blast hit him right in the chest and knocked him down into a sand dune, and MagnaAngemon could not be seen.

"Did that get him?" Paildramon's question was answered moments later when MagnaAngemon burst out of the sand dune, all eight wings extended as he attacked with his sword again. Paildramon managed to block the sword strike with his lances and kicked the angel Digimon back.

Ken smirked as he watched MagnaAngemon fight. As he thought, Paildramon and Cyberdramon were as powerful as ever, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they fell to MagnaAngemon's power. 'This is actually amusing…but they will soon fall like dominoes…'

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Brave Heart)

"Get ready, WarGrowlmon!" Whamon yelled to his comrade. WarGrowlmon, whose vision was becoming clearer now, nodded his head as he could see the blurred shape of SkullScorpiomon leap up at Whamon, who slammed his tail into the ground, creating a fissure and making a wall of water rise up from the crack.

"TIDAL WAVE!" The massive wave engulfed SkullScorpiomon, and the insect Digimon thrashed and flailed wildly in the torrent of water before crashing down into the ground. SkullScorpiomon coughed loudly and shook his head to get the water out of his head, but it exposed him to WarGrowlmon's attack.

"He's in range, WarGrowlmon!" called Takato. "Hit him now!"

"ATOMIC BLASTER!" The red energy blast tore through the air and hit SkullScorpiomon, who flew further back and hit the sand, losing consciousness as the Dark Spiral broke off from the attack.

* * *

Nearby, SkullMeramon continued whipping his chains at WereGarurumon, but the wolf man punched and kicked the chains away, and the metal weapons were grabbed by MegaKabuterimon, the red insect pulling the chains tight and preventing SkullMeramon from moving. Unfortunately, he forgot about SkullMeramon's other attack, which came from his mouth.

"HEAVY METAL FIRE!" MegaKabuterimon gasped as the blue flames flew at him, and he bent down at the last second, yelling out as the flames hit his shell.

"MegaKabuterimon!" WereGarurumon called out to his friend.

"Don't…worry…about me!" the red beetle said in a strained voice, his grip on the chains never weakening. "Get…the Spiral! Now!" WereGarurumon nodded and ran forward, using his leg strength to leap high into the air, clearing MegaKabuterimon's shell and having a clear shot at SkullMeramon.

"WOLF CLAW!" The energy slash flew from WereGarurumon's claws and hit SkullMeramon in the face, stopping the fire attack and allowing MegaKabuterimon to attack.

"HORN BUSTER!" The red insect released SkullMeramon's chains and flew forward, snaring him in his horn. "Break it now!" WereGarurumon leaped up again and released a Garuru Kick followed by another Wolf Claw. The attacks hit the Dark Spiral back to back, and the dark device shattered from the two strong consecutive attacks. Once SkullMeramon was free, MegaKabuterimon threw him off his horn.

* * *

"HEARTS ATTACK!" Monzaemon's hearts flew out again, but Garudamon was prepared this time as she flew forward.

"SHADOW WING!" The flaming bird cut through the hearts and blinded Monzaemon in a fiery flash, allowing Lillymon and Rapidmon to fly in with a flurry of punches and kicks. Rapidmon swung low and hooked the teddy bear's legs, sending him flying on his back. Lillymon followed this up by picking up Monzaemon and throwing him forward before preparing her attack.

"FLOWER CANNON!" The energy shell flew forward along with Rapidmon's Rapid Fire, and the Dark Spiral was shattered by the two attacks. Monzaemon was thrown back further, and he landed in an unconscious heap.

"Geez, talk about embarrassing," muttered Rapidmon. "We had a hard time trying to take down a teddy bear. A freaking teddy bear!"

"Yeah, and he's not even the toughest," Lillymon grimaced as she flew back to fight MagnaAngemon, Rapidmon and Garudamon following behind her as well.

* * *

"TRIDENT ARM!" MetalGreymon's arm flew forward, and MetalTyrannomon sidestepped the clawed hand, grabbing the arm and pulling hard on it, sending MetalGreymon off his feet and into the sand dunes.

"SPIRAL SWORD!" Andromon attacked next with his energy blade, but MetalTyrannomon blasted it with his Giga Destroyer II before firing his Nuclear Laser again, hitting Andromon in the chest and making him slide back. The humanoid cyborg stood his ground and attempted to push forward, but the heat and energy from the laser beam was slowly cracking his armor in several places.

"Kazu…I need…help!"

"Hang on!" Kazu reached into his pocket and pulled out a card to swipe. "This will do the trick! DIGI-MODIFY! DEFENSE PLUG-IN Q!" Andromon's entire body became a hard stone-like material, giving him better resistance against the Nuclear Laser attack. Andromon continued pushing forward before he was finally facing MetalTyrannomon's left arm. Grabbing it with his still stony hands, he forced the arm upwards, making the laser fly into the sky above where Piximon and Mamemon were continuing their battle.

* * *

"STRIKE UPPER!" Mamemon's gloves glowed red again, and he began delivering punch after punch to Piximon's spear, forcing the fairy Digimon back.

'This guy is tougher than he looks…I'll need a new plan if I want to…!' The fairy Digimon's thoughts were disturbed when he saw the laser beam of MetalTyrannomon shoot near them. A new idea forming in his head, Piximon swung in a circle and smacked Mamemon with his spear before firing his Pit Bomb again, blasting Mamemon into the path of the laser. The small Digimon yelled in pain from the heat of the laser. Once the laser stopped firing, Mamemon lost consciousness and fell to the ground below.

Taking careful aim, Piximon threw his spear downwards. The pointed weapon soared down and hit its target, the Dark Spiral on Mamemon's arm, true on spot, breaking it and releasing Mamemon from the nightmare of enslavement.

* * *

"Come on Andromon! You got this, buddy!" Kazu yelled to his partner. Andromon's stone defense still held as he pushed back MetalTyrannomon before swinging him into MetalGreymon, the orange cyborg dinosaur headbutting the Virus Ultimate before jumping back and spreading his wings to fly.

"GIGA DESTROYER!" The missiles soared and hit the disoriented MetalTyrannomon, knocking him out in an explosion. The Dark Spiral cracked from the attack, and Andromon finished it off with his Spiral Sword.

"This changes nothing," Ken sneered as he looked on and saw his five slaves being freed, Stingmon looking on feeling hopeful and nervous. "MagnaAngemon! Blast them again!" MagnaAngemon leaped back from Antylamon's axe hands and flew into the air, moving his sword around into a circle.

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" The gate opened and began charging energy for another blast.

"Oh man…he's going to blast us again!" Joe groaned, remembering what happened two days ago when MagnaAngemon used his Heaven's Gate on him and his friends.

"I may have an idea," Davis said before looking over to the Digimon, who were now fully drawn to MagnaAngemon. "Everybody, combine all of your attacks together!"

"All of them?!" Antylamon asked in surprise.

"What do we have to lose?" Paildramon shrugged. "Everybody, attack now! DESPERADO BLASTER!"

"DESOLATION CLAW!"

"GIGA DESTROYER!"

"WOLF CLAW!"

"SHADOW WING!"

"HORN BUSTER!"

"FLOWER CANNON!"

"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"

"ATOMIC BLASTER!"

"RAPID FIRE!"

"SPIRAL SWORD!"

"JET ARROW!"

"BUNNY BLADES!"

A massive ball of pure white energy was formed from all thirteen attacks coming together, much larger than the blast of energy coming from MagnaAngemon's gate. The two attacks collided, and the ball was pushed back by the stream of light before pushing back the stream. The Digidestined and Tamers stared in awe as the ball of energy charged for the gate and MagnaAngemon, Ken and Stingmon equally shocked as well.

'This…cannot be!' Ken thought as the energy ball broke through the gate and crashed into MagnaAngemon, driving him across the desert and creating a massive ditch. The smoke from the resulting explosion reached nearly twice the normal height of a Control Spire.

"YA-HOO!" Davis cheered wildly. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Please be okay, Patamon…" TK whispered softly, hoping that massive attack was enough to shatter the Dark Spiral.

"Man, that had to have gotten him!" Kazu said with a confident look on his face. "It looks like we don't need that sword Impmon was talking about!"

"Uh, I hate to break the bad news, but he's still standing…and the Spiral's still on!" Kenta pointed out. Sure enough, MagnaAngemon emerged from the massive crater and used his Magna Antidote again to heal the injuries, and the Dark Spiral still showed no signs of damage. The eight-winged angel managed to protect the Spiral by raising his arms up and letting the beam shield take the brunt of the attack.

"What's it going to take to beat him already?!" Rapidmon yelled out.

"Let's try combining our attacks again!" Paildramon suggested. "Get ready!"

"I don't think so!" Ken snapped his whip in the air. "I have to admit, that was certainly impressive, and you did come close to breaking the Spiral. But let's see what happens when you have to break more than one Dark Spiral!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"Wait, what is he…" Matt began to ask, but was cut off when three more Dark Spirals dropped down from the sky and attached themselves to MagnaAngemon's right arm, right leg, and left leg.

"Aw, come on!" yelled Davis. "That's not fair at all, Ken!"

"I haven't been playing fair ever since this all started, Davis," Ken replied as MagnaAngemon began glowing dark from the extra power. The winged angel grew several feet, and his appearance began changing. His silver wings became black like raven's wings, his white suit became a light shade of black. The golden bands on his chest became a dull blue. And the sword, helmet and beam shield turned a blood red color.

"Oh, great..." Matt groaned at what he saw. "It's just like with Devimon's Black Gears in Leomon!"

"Magna…Angemon…" TK breathed in horror, seeing what had become of his partner now. The others looked worried about this new development, but Tai, Davis, Takato and Ryo stood their ground.

"Come on guys, we can't let this slow us down!" said Davis. "We can still take him on!"

"He's right," Tai said, sweat running down his brow as Piximon flew down to join the children. "We're not done yet!"

"Impmon will be back soon, I just know it!" said Takato. "We just have to buy him more time!"

"Then that's what we'll do!" said Ryo, turning to the small fairy Digimon. "Piximon, get the Digimon that are not part of this fight out of here! This is going to get ugly, and we don't want any innocents caught in the crossfire."

"All right then. Good luck, my friends." Piximon flew up into the air and swung his spear around his fingers, creating a magical powder that spread around on Monzaemon, MetalTyrannomon, Mamemon, SkullScorpiomon and SkullMeramon. The five Digimon vanished along with Piximon, leaving the Digidestined, the Tamers and their Digimon standing against Ken, MagnaAngemon and Stingmon.

"We're not going to let you go down this dark path any further, Ken!" Davis said. "We came here to save you, and that's what we're going to do today!"

"You will try," Ken said.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" MagnaAngemon drew the circle again, and this time the gate was a pitch black as it opened up.

"Everybody, now!" Paildramon yelled. The Digimon fired off their special attacks again, and like before, the white ball of energy flew at the gate. But everybody was shocked when they saw the ball suddenly stop in front of the gate before being sucked into the gate.

"Oops. I guess I forgot about that!" Paildramon said with a nervous look on his face. Ken smirked at his enemies' shocked faces as the gate suddenly began glowing brightly, and Davis and TK's minds both flashed back to the battle at Full Metal City.

"Everybody, hit the deck! He's going to send the attack right back at us!" yelled Davis.

"With that much power, we'll still be knocked back, even if we get out of the way!" said WereGarurumon.

"Now who's finished?!" Ken laughed evilly. Takato grimaced as he looked at the charging gate, and then to WarGrowlmon. The red cyborg dinosaur turned his head to look down at his Tamer, and both of them looked at each other with a look of understanding.

"Ryo. Hand me the King Device card," the goggled Tamer said to his elder teammate. Ryo looked at him with surprise.

"The King Device card?" Ryo pulled out the card Takato requested as he looked unsure. "Takato, do you think this is a good idea?"

"What choice do we have?" Takato asked with a pleading look. "WarGrowlmon may be a Virus attribute taking on a Vaccine attack, but his armor and defense is higher than any of our other Digimon right now. With the card, he may be able to take the full force of the attack for us."

"But there's no telling what taking that amount of damage will do to you!" Henry said apprehensively. Takato steeled himself and answered, "We'll make it out. We will. I believe it!"

Ryo breathed in as he handed the card to Takato. "All right, go for it!"

"Fire on them, MagnaAngemon! Do it now!" called Ken.

"Patamon, stop this!" TK called out, but his plea was ignored as the attack was fired, and the energy ball began sailing towards its target. The Digimon moved close together to protect their partners, and were surprised when WarGrowlmon landed in front of them with his back turned on them.

"WarGrowlmon, what are you doing?!" asked Antylamon. The Deva's question was answered by a yell from Takato.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! KING DEVICE ACTIVATE!" To the surprise of the Digidestined, WarGrowlmon grew to twice his normal size, big enough to protect everybody from the attack. The energy ball collided with WarGrowlmon, and everything went white for a few moments as the shock waves created from the explosion sent everybody off their feet.

When the white faded, Davis looked up to see his friends and the Digimon were picking themselves up off the ground, separated by the explosion. A moan of pain made him turn his attention to see WarGrowlmon back to normal size, battered and bruised from taking the full force of the attack. Takato was also banged up as well, and was being supported by Henry and Sora.

"So this is…the full power…of MagnaAngemon…" Takato breathed. "It's terrifying…"

"…Yet impressive…" continued WarGrowlmon.

"You only delay the inevitable, WarGrowlmon," Ken said with a sneer. "You're all dead meat! MagnaAngemon, finish them off!" The winged angel took flight and charged at WarGrowlmon with a yell. WarGrowlmon roared at the challenge and fired up his jet boosters, charging for the corrupted angel. He knew he was a Virus attribute against a Vaccine attribute, and he knew he was hurting from the attack he just took, as well as the effects of the King Device card, but for his Tamer Takato, for Davis and Ryo, and for TK, he would fight until the bitter end. And the other Digimon, jumping back into battle to aid WarGrowlmon, were determined to fight to the end as well. They could only hope they could win, and if they couldn't, then it would be all down to Impmon.

But they would not stop until the end…

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou: TV Size)

END CHAPTER 17

 **Quite some action in this chapter, huh? I decided to incorporate the attribute advantage in this story, and it will be brought up during some moments. We also got a glimpse of Ryo's past with Ken and Sam, as well as Davis's first day in the Digital World.**

 **Next time, the battle against MagnaAngemon continues, as well as Impmon's test. What will happen?**

 **Minor spoiler: Nothing good.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Warrior of Darkness

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

With MagnaAngemon under his control, the Digimon Emperor has slowly been taking over more areas of the Digital World, killing anyone who opposes them. The combined teams went to engage him in battle, while Impmon has agreed to undergo a test in Witchelny to obtain a sword that could turn the tide against MagnaAngemon…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Warrior of Darkness, Baalmon!

Impmon, Ai, Mako, Kari and Gatomon continued walking through the dark tunnel. It had been a while since they went into the tunnel to do Impmon's test, but so far nothing had happened yet that seemed like a test. Impmon and Gatomon were in the lead, prepared for anything that could happen, while Kari could only wonder what kind of test was in store for Impmon. And Ai and Mako, taking up the rear, were beginning to tire out from walking so much.

"How long is this tunnel, exactly?" asked Ai. "I feel like we've been walking for hours!"

"Ten minutes actually," Kari said as she looked at the time on her D-3's screen, which shone a faint light in the tunnel. "I wonder what this tunnel has for a test?"

"Well, Wisemon said this tunnel will have three memories from my past," said Impmon. "I can only wonder what…" the purple demon suddenly stopped when he heard a faint chuckle. His eyes widened slightly. It was faint, but the chuckle sounded familiar.

"Hang on," he held up his hand to stop the group from moving any further.

"Impmon, what is it?" asked Mako.

"That laugh…did you just hear it now?"

"What chuckle…" Gatomon started before she heard the chuckle herself, her ears twitching as she heard the faint sound. "Wait…I can hear it too." Kari, Ai and Mako stayed quiet and they could hear the laugh as well. It grew louder, and it could be made out as a deep, rough laugh. A white fog suddenly appeared in the tunnel, and enveloped everything around the group, leaving them in an area of white fog.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"What the heck is this?!" asked Gatomon.

"It's just like a Digital Field back home," said Mako. "If this shows up in our world, then that means a Digimon would always appear."

"So what does it mean for us here?" asked Kari. "Is this part of Impmon's test?" The deep voice laughed again, much clearer than before. Impmon stared off in the distance, a scowl of distaste on his face. Now that the voice was clear, there was no mistaken that taunting laugh.

"Impmon, what's wrong?" Ai asked, seeing the dark look on her partner's face.

"That laugh…I would recognize it anywhere," Impmon growled as he stepped forward to where the laugh was coming from. "Stop laughing at me and come out! I know you're here, you arrogant jackass!"

"Why shouldn't I stop laughing? Your insult was very much unoriginal." the voice asked with another chuckle. "Just when I thought you couldn't look even more pathetic than the last time we met, now you have attached yourselves to two pathetic meatbags that are just as weak as you are."

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT AI AND MAKO THAT WAY!" Impmon roared, lighting up a fireball on his finger. "GET OUT HERE, NOW!" Ai and Mako had looks of anger as well to whoever insulted them.

"Very well then, if it means enjoying such a sad sight." Thunderous footsteps were heard, and a giant Digimon stepped out of the fog and stood before Impmon.

Impmon's scowl turned into a sneer as he looked up at the familiar Digimon: A purple horse Digimon that stood on its hind legs, its front legs dangling almost to the ground, three horns on his forehead, white hair covering his eyes and showing only his snout, and a giant golden shell strapped to his back. This Digimon was Indramon, one of the twelve Digimon Devas that served Zhuqiaomon. Memories flashed back to when he encountered Indramon. Not only did he humiliate and insult him in front of his friends, but he had beaten him to near death. These events would lead to Impmon accepting Caturamon's deal to become Beelzemon in an attempt to become stronger without a partner.

"Look at you," Indramon said as he looked down at Impmon. "You used to be able to Digivolve to the Mega level by yourself, but now you're once again kept by humans, and you're back to square one at the Champion level. Do you honestly think these little children will help you Digivolve again? They do not appear so strong. I may have fallen to a human-partnered Digimon, but he was on even ground with me, and his partner showed true strength!"

"Leave Impmon alone!" Mako shouted bravely to the Deva. "If you have to insult somebody like that, then you're nothing but a bully that can be beaten by anybody!"

"You're a bad horsey, and Impmon could kick your tail!" agreed Ai.

"Ai, don't give him suggestions…" Impmon whispered through gritted teeth, but Indramon had chosen to laugh again, drowning out his whispers.

"Is that so? You wish for another humiliating beating at my hands?" Impmon glared up at Indramon. He knew he was outpowered and outclassed against the Deva, but he could tell the only way to pass the first part of his test was to beat Indramon.

"You can do it, Impmon! You can beat him!" said Mako. "Ai and I can help you as well!"

"Yeah!" Ai chirped. "We're together again, Impmon! If we're together, then we'll be able to beat Indramon."

"You guys…" Impmon said in surprise, before smiling. They were right. The last time he fought Indramon, he had been alone. He had left Ai and Mako and hadn't accepted them. But now, they were with him, and he knew if they helped him with the right cards, then he would be able to make it past phase one of his test.

"They're right, horse meat!" he looked back up to Indramon with a glare. "I want to fight you again, but it won't be like last time!"

"Is that so?" Indramon laughed skeptically. "Then prove that those humans make you stronger. Fight me as you are. No Digivolving…not that it would help you much. And it must be only myself, yourself, and those two you call partners. The girl and the white flea bag will not interfere."

"Why you…" Gatomon hissed at the giant horse.

"That does it," Impmon growled. "I can let you taunt me all you want, but I've been trying to hold it in since you insulted Ai and Mako. But now you insult Kari…and Gatomon…THAT'S THE LAST STRAW! SUMMON…FLAME!" A ball of fire twice the size of Agumon's Pepper Breath rose out of the ground and Impmon launched it at Indramon, who barely flinched as the attack hit his face and barely left a mark.

"That's just a warm up! Let's see how you like it cold! SUMMON…ICE!" The attack this time was a ball of ice that hit Indramon's shoulder, and a small patch of ice coated the body part.

"Hm. You have a new trick, I see," Indramon noted as he brushed the ice off his shoulder. "But do not think the elements can protect you from my power!" The giant horse raised his arms in the air as the yellow ropes holding his shell up dissipated into data particles, allowing the shell to rise into the air and drop down in front of him. Impmon steeled himself, knowing what was to come.

"Ai, Mako! Any time now!" he said with gritted teeth, watching Indramon place his lips on the small end of the shell and take in a deep breath. Ai and Mako were searching through their cards frantically, wondering what could work.

"What do we do, what do we do?!" Ai yelped, going through card after card. Mako looked through the cards in his hands before finding one with a MetalGarurumon.

"Here! This could work! We can freeze his shell!" Mako took the card and swiped it through the D-Ark.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! METALGARURUMON ACTIVATE!"

"Wait, hang on!" Impmon started, but it was too late as he felt the power flow within him, and he couldn't hold it in.

"METAL WOLF CLAW!" The ice blast flew from Impmon's mouth and towards Indramon's shell. Instead of freezing the shell as Mako hoped for, the attack flew into the shell and disappeared.

"What the…where did it go?!"

"His shell can absorb energy-based attacks," Impmon answered. "We have to rely on physical attacks!"

"HORN OF DESOLATION!" Indramon blew into the shell and a shock wave flew from the giant shell.

"Give me something for defense!" Impmon called to his Tamers. Ai looked down at her cards, wondering what could work until she saw a card with a shield she recognized instantly.

"This will work!" The brown-haired girl pulled the card out and took the D-Ark from Mako, sliding the card through the slot. "DIGI-MODIFY! BRAVE SHIELD ACTIVATE!" The shield appeared in Impmon's hands, and Ai slid a Strength Plug-In Q card through the D-Ark to give Impmon extra strength to hold the massive weapon. The shockwave hit the shield and Impmon slid back, back with his extra strength, Impmon managed to protect his partners and his friends from the attack before tossing the shield at Indramon, knocking the shell out of his hands.

"It's payback time, jackass!" Still feeling the effects of the strength card, Impmon charged forward and leapt up, landing punch after punch on Indramon. The last time they fought, the punches the Rookie landed did nothing on the more powerful Ultimate level, but this time, Indramon actually staggered back from the fists.

"Impossible! You actually…hurt me! You didn't have this power last time!"

"Because the last time, I was a blind and arrogant fool that tried to take you on single-handedly! This time, I have Ai and Mako with me. They may not fight like I do…but they have their own strength! And through that strength…I WILL BEAT YOU! BADABOOM!" The six fireballs flew from Impmon's fingertips and hit Indramon's chest, and the horse Deva was surprised at the small burns he received. His anger rose and he brought up a large, golden hoof.

"ENOUGH!" The hoof smacked Impmon and knocked him to the ground. Indramon then smacked Impmon with his other hoof and sent him flying back to his Tamers.

"Impmon!" Kari cried in worry. Impmon grunted as he stood back up and glared at Indramon.

"Don't think smacking me with those golden hooves will keep me down this time!" he yelled as he charged forward. Indramon raised his hooves again and tried to smack Impmon, but Mako thought quickly and slid a High-Speed Plug-In B card to increase Impmon's speed, enabling him to dodge the attacks.

"They're evenly matched as far as attributes go," Ai said, looking down at the D-Ark. "They're both Virus attributes."

"So Impmon will need a strong Vaccine attack to finish off Indramon," said Kari, remembering Kenta's words earlier about attributes.

"First he has to break that shell, since it can absorb attacks," said Gatomon. "If we had something strong to break it…Ai, Mako, give me your cards! Let me see what can work!" The twins quickly gave her the cards, and the white cat flipped through the cards while watching Impmon continue to dodge Indramon's hooves and fire his attacks, but it was clear the small devil couldn't hold out much longer, especially when Indramon brought his shell back to him and knocked Impmon aside with it.

"Hurry Gatomon, Impmon needs us!" Mako said. Gatomon continued looking through the cards as she watched Indramon raise his shell up to his lips again to blow, and her eyes widened when she saw who Indramon was aiming the shell at.

"Since your newfound strength seems to come from these pathetic meatbags, I'll finish them off first and then you," the horse said to Impmon. The small demon growled as he looked up; the last blow from Indramon had knocked some wind out of him.

"Don't even…think about it!" he grunted angrily. "Ai…Mako…hurry!"

"Gatomon, have you found anything?" asked Kari. Gatomon gritted her teeth in frustration. None of the cards she saw would be of use against the horn, but if an energy-based attack could be used on the side of the horn…suddenly, Gatomon found something that could be of use.

"Wait…this card could be of use," she said. "Do you think Impmon can handle another Mega attack?"

"Let's hope so!" said Ai, taking the card and staring down at Indramon, who was breathing in deep. It was clear Indramon was planning for his next shock wave to be strong enough to kill her, Mako, Kari and Gatomon. But this would prove costly.

"DIGI-MODIFY! SABERLEOMON ACTIVATE!" Impmon gasped as he felt the new power enter his body and give him some strength back. Leaping up high, his hands turned into giant black paws that glowed bright blue as he dropped down on the shell.

"HOWLING CRUSHER!" The claws collided with the shell, and the golden weapon shattered to pieces upon impact.

"No! It cannot be!" Indramon gasped in shock. "How could a puny Rookie like you break my most powerful weapon?!"

"Like I said before…my Tamers…they give me strength to fight…and I give them strength as well! And you shouldn't have attacked them, because I'm done holding back! Ai, Mako! Let's finish it!"

"I'm on it!" Ai smiled as she pulled out a card. "Here's a shout-out to you, Gatomon! DIGI-MODIFY! ANGEWOMON ACTIVATE!"

"CELESTIAL ARROW!" Impmon fired the white arrow at Indramon, who held up his arms to protect himself. Unfortunately, the arrow went straight through his arms and pierced his chest. The horse Deva gasped as the projectile tore through him. The horse Deva stared in shock and took a step forward before falling face first and disappearing. Instead of turning into data, his body turned into smoke and faded away into the sky, but the white fog remained.

"Told you…I'd beat you this time…" Impmon gasped and dropped to his knees, breathing deeply to regain himself. Ai and Mako ran over to him and helped him up.

"Impmon…are you okay?" asked Kari.

"Yeah…I'm fine, I just need to take a breather…" Impmon breathed deep as he relaxed in Ai and Mako's arms before standing back up.

"I told horse-face that I'd beat him this time and I did…" the purple demon smiled lightly at Ai and Mako. "And it's thanks to you two."

"It is?" Ai and Mako asked in surprise.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"Yes, it was," said Gatomon. "You provided Impmon the strength he needed to defeat Indramon, and his strength and motivation to fight Indramon was what gave you the strength to help him."

"This is part of the bond between a Digimon and their partners," said Kari, bending down in front of the twins. "It's a special bond that will last forever."

"Forever…" Ai and Mako muttered, looking down at their shared D-Ark.

"Well, if we're all good, let's see what phase 2 is," Impmon said to the group. "Just one thing twins. The next time you use a Digimon card to give me a Digimon's attack, any chance you can start lower than Mega? Those last attacks nearly drained me!"

"Sorry Impmon," Mako said sheepishly. "We're still new at this…"

"So we don't know what cards can work," said Ai. "The other Tamers have been teaching us…"

"I get it," Impmon sighed. It did seem hard for him to be mad at his partners. "Just think more clearly before you act." The twins nodded and Impmon looked back at the direction they were walking in before confronting Indramon.

"Congratulations Impmon," a loud voice suddenly boomed in the area, startling everybody. "You have passed the first part of your test. Proceed for the second part."

"Sure thing…" Impmon said, slowly walking forward as he wondered what the next part of the test would be.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)

"G-UGH!" WereGarurumon grunted as MagnaAngemon's leg rammed into his stomach. The beast man groaned as he staggered back and was kicked into Lillymon by MagnaAngemon. Whamon attempted to strike MagnaAngemon with his tail, but the corrupted angel Digimon grabbed the tail, and with surprising strength, swung the whale Digimon around and threw him into MetalGreymon and Garudamon, knocking down the three Ultimate level Digimon. Though it was one Ultimate level that the Digidestined and the Tamers were facing now, MagnaAngemon was able to replenish his energy and heal his wounds instantly with Magna Antidote, and the partner Digimon had used up most of their energy fighting the Digimon slaves Ken had.

Ken watched as the battle progressed, pleased with the results. He knew MagnaAngemon would not be able to fight the entire group of Digidestined and Tamers at full strength, thus the reason for bringing in several powerful Digimon to make their partners drain themselves of energy first before setting MagnaAngemon on them. It would be easier to eliminate them that way.

"MIRACLE MISSILE!" Rapidmon's missiles soared again, but MagnaAngemon managed to slice through the missiles with his sword. The extra Dark Spirals had not only changed MagnaAngemon's appearance and height, but they had also increased his strength and speed. Rapidmon disappeared in a green blur and appeared behind MagnaAngemon to fire his Tri-Beam, but the winged Digimon swung around at an incredibly fast speed and swiped at Rapidmon with his sword.

"AGH!" Rapidmon yelled in pain as the sword cut into his chest, and the cyborg Digimon plummeted to the ground, where Henry grunted in pain from feeling Rapidmon's pain.

"BUNNY BLADES!" Antylamon swiped at the angel again with her blades, but MagnaAngemon dodged the swipes and blasted Antylamon down with his Soul Vanisher.

"HORN BUSTER!"

"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"

MegaKabuterimon and Zudomon both charged for MagnaAngemon once he was down on the ground, but the angel flew upwards, causing the two Ultimate Digimon to crash into each other. Paildramon flew up at MagnaAngemon and fired his Desperado Blaster. The angel Digimon protected himself with his beam shield, allowing Paildramon to use another of his attacks.

"CABLE CATCHER!" His fingers flew out on cables and wrapped around MagnaAngemon's legs. Once he had him secured, Paildramon pulled with all his strength and sent the angel Digimon falling to the ground, allowing Cyberdramon to tackle him and pummel his face and chest mercilessly. MagnaAngemon grabbed Cyberdramon's hands and flipped him off of him before hitting him in the back with his Soul Vanisher. Paildramon dropped down with his Sting Strike, but a hard swipe from MagnaAngemon's swords sliced his lances in half, and Paildramon was blasted off his feet by another Soul Vanisher.

"ATOMIC BLASTER!" WarGrowlmon's red energy beams tore into MagnaAngemon, and the angel Digimon decided to attack WarGrowlmon, who was the last Digimon standing. The red cyborg fired up his jet engines and flew straight at MagnaAngemon, grunting as multiple Soul Vanishers hit his body until he was up close to the angel.

Trapping MagnaAngemon in his arms, WarGrowlmon began charging his cannons for another attack.

"Take this! ATOMIC BLASTER!" Right at the last minute, MagnaAngemon's beam shield flashed brightly and covered him in a purple aura. WarGrowlmon gasped in surprise before yelling loudly as his attack was released, sending both Digimon flying back in an explosion. MagnaAngemon crashed to the ground and his barrier broke, but the Dark Spirals remained unbroken. WarGrowlmon crashed and reverted to Guilmon, the damage received during the battle taking its toll on him.

"Guilmon! Hang in there!" Takato ran over and scooped his partner up in his arms, ignoring the pain he felt from WarGrowlmon's injuries. "Are you okay boy?"

"I have to commend you for your plan, as well as your strength and teamwork," Ken laughed as he looked over to the humans that were tending to their Digimon partners. "But you were fools for thinking you could have freed MagnaAngemon as easy as you did MetalGreymon. You think this strength was enough? Don't make me laugh!"

"It's not just power that makes us strong Ken! Don't you remember?" called Davis. "Strength also comes from all of us together!"

"Can't you see the reason we're all fighting is because we're trying to help you Ken?!" asked Ryo. "We can't bear to see you like this!"

"Do you honestly still think talking to me will work?" Ken asked skeptically as he looked down at Davis and Ryo. "Nothing you say or do will stop me!"

"Maybe not us," Davis smirked, looking behind Ken, "but TK, on the other hand…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"AAHH!" Ken turned around and yelled in surprise as TK tackled him and knocked him to the ground. He was absolutely stunned. TK must have snuck up behind him during the fierce battle. He didn't even notice TK leave the battlefield to sneak up on him!

"Undo all of this!" the blond-haired boy yelled at Ken. "Shut down the Control Spires, free the Digimon and give me back my partner! You honestly think you know darkness?! You don't know its true nature like I do!"

"Like you do?" asked Ken. "You just think of darkness as plain evil, but it is more than that! It can be used for good as well, just like light!"

"Good?!" TK yelled angrily, pulling Ken up to his feet. "What's good about enslaving Digimon and taking over the Digital World with darkness?! You call this good? You call this order?!"

"Such a blind fool!" Ken snarled, punching TK in the gut and forcing the bearer of Hope to release him.

"You can't control the darkness Ken, because _it_ has been controlling _you_ this entire time!" TK yelled as he threw a punch, but Ken dodged it and rammed his fist into TK's face, breaking his nose. The blond-haired boy yelled as he held his bleeding nose, and it left him vulnerable to a kick from Ken that knocked him flat on his back.

"TK!" Matt cried, running over to his brother, but a swipe of MagnaAngemon's sword made a strong wind that knocked the Digidestined off their feet. Davis pulled himself back up and ran over to TK.

"TK, come on! Get up, you can do it!"

"Like I said before, this will end today, and the end begins with the end of Hope and Miracles!" declared Ken. "MagnaAngemon! Kill Davis…and your partner!"

"NO!" yelled many of the Digidestined as MagnaAngemon dropped down in front of Davis and TK, his arm pulled back and his sword extended. Davis and TK could only look up in shock and horror.

"MagnaAngemon…Patamon…please, don't do this!" TK pleaded, his mind flashing back to his nightmare from last night. He shut his eyes as he realized this was no dream. He would die here at the hands of his own partner.

"Davis…hang on…!" Paildramon groaned as he stood up, but like most of the Digimon, he was still tired from the battle.

"TK! Davis! Get out of there!" called Takato.

"Hang on, guys!" Ryo charged towards the two boys as MagnaAngemon thrust his arm forward. Davis closed his eyes as well and his life flashed before his eyes; Jun, Tai, Sora, Matt, Veemon, Ryo, Ken, Takato…and Kari…the prettiest girl he ever knew, and the best girlfriend he could ever ask for…

The sound of a sword going through a body was heard, and Davis flinched at the sound…but yet…he felt no pain. Did the sword kill him fast and was he already dead? Had he passed on in another plane of existence?

"STINGMON!" Davis opened his eyes slowly upon the sound of Ryo, Cyberdramon, Paildramon and Takato yelling in shock. What he saw nearly made his heart stop. Stingmon stood over Davis and TK…and MagnaAngemon's sword was going right through his body.

"W…what?!" the burgundy haired boy gasped. The Digidestined and the Tamers were shocked at Stingmon's actions. And Ken was equally shocked as well when he saw his partner move in at the last second and allow himself to be stabbed in Davis and TK's place. MagnaAngemon pulled his sword out, and Stingmon collapsed on the ground, data leaking out of his body as Paildramon and Cyberdramon ran to their old friend.

"You…what is the meaning of this, Stingmon?!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi)

"You left me…no choice, Ken…" Stingmon said sadly. "Where's the kind, gentle boy I met so long ago…?" Data continued leaking out of his body; it was clear he didn't have much time left. "I knew…that everything you were doing to the Digital World…to the Digimon…to our own friends…I knew that it was wrong. But I did nothing against you, nor did I say anything. I stood by your side as always, and I did whatever you wanted me to do. I did it all because I thought as your partner, I was supposed to act in your best interests. But I was wrong. Only now do I realize…because I'm your partner, I should have been opposing you and stopping you. I stood by you in hopes that one day you would return to your old, kind self, but it only served to cause you to fall further into darkness."

Stingmon's body continued dissolving until all that was left were his arms and head.

"Stingmon…don't go! Please…" Davis pleaded with the insect Digimon, but Stingmon continued looking at Ken as he continued dissolving.

"I just hope…when we meet again…you'll be back to the old Ken…" Stingmon turned his head towards Davis and Ryo. "Ryo…Davis…please take care of him…while I'm gone…"

"We…we will..." Davis said, his eyes faint with tears.

"We'll save Ken Stingmon. I promise," Ryo said solemnly.

"Thank…you…" Stingmon spoke his last words as his head vanished, leaving Paildramon and Cyberdramon holding nothing but the air. All was quiet as the Digidestined, the Tamers and their Digimon silently mourned Stingmon's brave sacrifice.

The silence was broken minutes later by Ken, who was shaking with anger.

"You…how could you do this?!" he snarled at them. "Stingmon always stood by my side…he was the only one who never betrayed me…who ever cared about me…and now…he's dead because of you! YOU MADE HIM BETRAY ME! YOU COST ME MY LAST FRIEND! I'LL KILL YOU ALL FOR THAT!" MagnaAngemon's wings spread, and released a strong gust of wind that knocked everybody off their feet, except for Takato, who stood his ground firmly.

"You have done that yourself, Ken!" Takato yelled, his eyes wet with unshed tears as well. "Stingmon had such a good heart…he died still believing in the real you…you're the one who can't be forgiven!" Guilmon stood back up and snarled at MagnaAngemon.

"Takato…I can still fight…but I need your help…to end this for good…"

(Play One Vision: Dukemon Version)

"You're right Guilmon!" Takato's grip tightened on his D-Ark, which began glowing white-hot. "We're done holding back!" Takato thrust his D-Ark into the sky, and the white light consumed Takato and Guilmon as Takato yelled at the top of his voice. " **BIOMERGE…ACTIVATE!** "

"Biomerge?!" asked Tai, Davis and Izzy.

" **GUILMON BIOMERGE TOOO…!** "

 _When two shining bodies_

 _Melt together, Matrix Evolution_

 _Then you'll understand everything_

 _The meaning of your meeting_

To the shock of everybody except the Tamers and their partners, the two white figures that were Takato and Guilmon merged together into one tall form that was revealed when the light faded. White armor that shone in the sunlight with hints of crimson and gold. A long, billowing red cape. A lance in one hand, and a shield in the other. The knight Digimon yelled his name to the heavens in a deep, booming voice.

" **GALLANTMON!** "

"No…no way!" gasped TK, holding his bleeding nose. "They combined…"

 _Can you write the shape of your heart on a piece of paper?_

"Biomerge?" asked a stunned Izzy.

"That's how Takato and Guilmon reach the Mega level," said Henry. "I can do it as well, and so can Ryo and Rika."

 _It's something that can change its color in just one second_

"Wait, you and Cyberdramon can combine to form Justimon now?!" Davis asked Ryo in complete shock.

"Yeah, we can," said Ryo. "But I think we should leave this to Gallantmon."

 _Do you know what it means to believe?_

"Can he handle MagnaAngemon?" asked Mimi.

"You bet he can!" said Kazu. "Gallantmon is a Royal Knight Digimon like Omnimon."

 _Your everything is being tested_

"Like Omnimon?!" Matt asked in surprise. "Does that mean he's as powerful as Omnimon?"

"Just watch," Suzie said with a smirk.

* * *

 _Courage alone can't reach_

"Guilmon, how are you holding up?" Takato asked from inside his partner.

 _"I'm still hurting Takato,_ " Guilmon responded. " _That Biomerge has given me a second wind, but I'm not sure how long it will last._ "

 _In that instant when your fear, too, becomes one_

"We just have to hold off MagnaAngemon long enough for Impmon to return," said Takato, looking straight and Ken and MagnaAngemon. "Now let's do this. For Stingmon!"

 _"Right!_ "

* * *

Ken and MagnaAngemon could only stare in complete shock at the new Digimon before them, the Digimon Emperor stumbling a little before he could speak clearly.

 _When two shining bodies_

 _Melt together, Matrix Evolution_

"A human and a Digimon Digvolving together?! What is this madness?!"

 _The instant everything is fulfilled_

 _Now, it's now!_

 _When two hearts change to zero and_

 _Melt together, Matrix Evolution_

"Digimon Emperor!" Gallantmon spoke. "You have allowed the devil to corrupt your soul, and through your actions, you have become one yourself. You have rejected every offer of help your friends have given you, and you killed your own partner. Your very existence is unforgiveable!"

 _Then you'll understand everything_

 _The meaning of your meeting_

"Unforgiveable?" Ken asked, his teeth gnashing angrily and his pupils shrinking in his eyes. "MY EXISTENCE IS UNFORGIVEABLE?! LET'S SEE YOU SPOUT THAT NONSENSE WHEN YOU'RE DEAD! KILL HIM, MAGNAANGEMON!" The corrupted angel Digimon charged forward with his sword held out front. Raising his right arm, Gallantmon aimed his lance at the Ultimate level and charged forward with a yell.

 _If you carve even your hearts with the same rhythm_

 _You should be able to feel the overflowing power_

 _You didn't so much become one in order to fight_

 _Rather you became one in order to understand each other_

The two weapons met and both Digimon were knocked back by the winds that were created by the collision, but they were immediately on each other again. MagnaAngemon swung his sword at Gallantmon, but the Royal Knight blocked the strikes with his shield before swinging and stabbing with his lance. MagnaAngemon swung his sword again, and the two weapons met in a battle of strength as the two Digimon pushed each other back. Being a natural Mega level, Gallantmon managed to push MagnaAngemon back with his lance before leaping back towards his friends.

"Heh…" Ken chuckled, breath heavy and fingers clenching. "Even if you Digivolved into a Royal Knight Digimon, do you honestly think you can defeat an Archangel Digimon? Don't make me laugh!"

 _In the instant when the drops of time that have piled up_

 _Open the door to a miracle_

"An angel corrupted by devices of Hell cannot stop I, Gallantmon!" The Royal Knight raised his lance again as MagnaAngemon flew down to strike him with Excalibur.

"ROYAL SABER!" The lance glowed bright blue before releasing a blast of energy that knocked MagnaAngemon out of the sky.

 _When the power to choose the future_

 _Awakens, matrix evolution_

 _Only you can do it_

The brunt of the attack hit the Dark Spiral on his right arm, shattering it to pieces. Once the angel Digimon landed, Gallantmon was immediately on him, striking him with his lance and shield before kicking him back. Every blow the two Digimon landed on each other shook the area around them, and the Digidestined could feel it.

 _Now, open your eyes!_

"Amazing! So this is the power of Gallantmon!" Izzy marveled.

 _Only you can do it_

 _That's the final evolution_

"It's more than that," said Henry. "It's the true power of a Tamer and his partner working together."

 _When two shining bodies_

 _Melt together, Matrix Evolution_

 _The instant everything is fulfilled_

"Boy, Rika wasn't kidding when she said the Tamers were different from us," Joe noted as he watched MagnaAngemon blast Gallantmon back with his Soul Vanisher, the Royal Knight protecting himself with his shield.

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" The gate opened up again, this time releasing an energy stream.

 _Now, it's now_

"That won't work this time!" Gallantmon raised his shield again, the triangle symbol glowing brightly. "FINAL ELYSION!"

 _When two hearts change to zero and_

 _Melt together, Matrix Evolution_

 _Then you'll understand everything_

 _The meaning of your meeting_

Like Gallantmon's Royal Saber, a beam of energy flew from the shield, but it was bigger and wider than Royal Saber. The beam blasted through the Heaven's Gate and hit MagnaAngemon, knocking him to the ground again and breaking the Dark Spiral on his left leg.

"Two down," said TK said as he watched the battle, hoping beyond imagination that they could somehow pull this off and free his partner, who stood back up and healed himself again with Magna Antidote.

Gallantmon raised his weapons again and charged forward. He still felt exhausted from the final battle, but he would not stop fighting until the fight was over, or until he had fallen. Frankly, he was hoping for the former in the form of Impmon and whatever the sword he was talking about.

* * *

Impmon and the group continued walking through the fog. The purple demon grunted a little as he walked forward. The fight with Indramon had drained him and left several bruises on his body. Ai noticed this and decided to speak up.

"Impmon…can you walk well? You're limping."

"Yeah, so what?" asked Impmon with a scoff and a smirk. "I've been through worse." This was true. After being impaled by the D-Reaper over and over again, being hit by Indramon's hooves again was like being bonked on the head.

"But you still look like you're hurt," Mako walked over and stopped with his back to Impmon. "Climb on. I can carry you."

"Thanks, but I can manage," said Impmon, touched by Mako's offer. "Besides, I'm a lot heavier than I look."

"I don't mind," Mako insisted. "We don't want you to overexert yourself."

"But if you don't want to be carried, then it's all right," said Kari. "We're just thinking about how you're doing right now Impmon."

"Yeah," said Ai. "We really care about you."

"Do you? Do you truly care about him, humans?" Everybody stiffened when they heard a new voice in the white fog. It wasn't Indramon's voice, and it wasn't the voice that told them that Impmon had passed the first phase of his test. This voice sounded jeering, taunting. Impmon grit his teeth angrily and clenched his fists. He knew this voice just as well as he knew Indramon's. And the shadow that appeared in the fog and approached them was one he knew well.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"Caturamon…" the demon growled as the Digimon was finally revealed: A giant dog Digimon with blue armor and red eyes, gold trimming on his armor, and his face set in a permanent smirk.

"So…you have become partnered to humans," the dog Deva said, sneering at the twins. "You have turned traitor as well against us to join with such selfish creatures."

"I've betrayed nothing," Impmon growled, pulling himself up to full height. "And if you as so much as say one more thing to Ai and Mako that I don't like, I'll beat you as badly as I beat Indramon!"

"Hmph. Empty threats from someone who doesn't have the power anymore to do so," Caturamon said. "You should have finished off those traitors when you had the chance Impmon. You were powerful, strong! You had everything, and you threw it all away to go back to two pathetic weaklings who could break easily if they fell from a great height. And then you went and died actually protecting one of them, as well as her traitorous partner."

"You shut up!" hissed Gatomon. "This is one cat that's not afraid of dogs!"

"Let me ask you a question Impmon," Caturamon continued, ingnoring Gatomon's words. "Do you honestly think these humans still care about you?"

"Stop right there!" yelled Impmon. "You threw that dog crap at me the last time we were in a position like this, and I was stupid, foolish and desperate enough to believe it! But not this time, you mangy mutt! What you showed me about Ai and Mako may have been true, but they worried about me and they missed me when I left them! And Kari cares about me just as well! The only one that doesn't care is you!"

"Yeah! You're just telling a bunch of lies to Impmon!" yelled Mako. "And lying is bad!"

"You're a bad doggie!" added Ai.

"Do not talk to me in that manner, humans!" Caturamon snarled and advanced for the twins, but stopped when Impmon threw a fireball in his face.

"Hey! This is between you and me, flea bag!" yelled Impmon. "You've never cared about me or the other Digimon! You just offered me that deal since you knew you couldn't beat Guilmon and the others on your own, so you looked for a pawn…and I was the unwilling one."

"Unwilling, you say?" Caturamon asked with a chuckle. "If I remember correctly, you accepted the deal of your own will."

"After you filled my head with lies, half-truths and doubts!" Impmon growled. "Had I been smarter, I would have said no. But I said yes, and I've had to deal with the consequences of my actions ever since then."

"By joining with humans and actually dying for them," said Caturamon. "You truly are an insult to Digimon everywhere."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

"Oh, yeah?! The way you're talking, you sound like you're making yourself out as some sort of saint, but the fact is, you're not!" retorted Impmon. "You lied to me and you tricked me into doing your dirty work for you. And if it wasn't me, you would have probably gone to another Digimon and done the same. And if they said no, they would have been destroyed by you. All you talk about is peace, but you bring nothing but suffering, you and your Devas! And you're not even sorry for it!"

"Except Lopmon," Ai muttered.

"Are you saying you actually care for these humans?" Caturamon asked in a disgusted tone. Impmon looked over to Ai, Mako, Kari and Gatomon with a soft expression before glaring hard at Caturamon.

"I do care about them…and they care about me as well," he said, standing his ground against the dog Deva. "I regret all the pain I ever brought them, but I'm done leaving them behind and doing everything myself. Humans and Digimon are strong together…but you won't accept it because of your narrow-minded view on the old ways of Digimon!" Caturamon growled angrily at Impmon's scathing words.

"If that is your choice…you shall die with the humans! SWABHOJANA!" Caturamon leapt up into the air and spun around, transforming his entire body into a blue hammer. Impmon rolled out of the way as the hammer swung down and hit the ground.

"Ai, Mako! The card. Now!" Mako nodded and grabbed the card, swiping it through his D-Arc.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"IMPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WIZARDMON!"

"Kari, it's my turn!" said Gatomon. "This time, I'm helping out!"

"All right, Gatomon!" Kari held up her D-3 as the Crest of Light appeared on her chest.

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEWOMON!"

"THUNDER CLOUD!" The lightning blast flew from Wizardmon's staff and hit Caturamon in the face. Growling angrily, Caturamon planted his feet in the ground and let out a loud howl that released a shock wave. Wizardmon quickly erected a magic barrier to protect himself and the others. The barrier shattered from the force of the shockwave, but the damage was not as bad as it would have been had the barrier been up.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!" Angewomon flew overhead and fired her arrows at Caturamon, pelting the dog Deva with them. Some of the projectiles bounced off Caturamon's armor, but more of them hit the small cracks in his armor, bringing him some small pain.

"I shall not allow myself to fall again to traitors!" Caturamon leapt into the air and performed his Swabhojana attack again, striking Angewomon in the head and knocking her out of the sky.

"Angewomon, are you okay?" Kari asked, running over to her partner. The female angel groaned as Kari helped her sit up, clutching the sides of her head with her hands.

"My head…it's pounding hard…he certainly hits hard…"

"He's a Deva like Indramon, they're some of the toughest Digimon out there," said Wizardmon, using his Magical Game to send magic cards flying at Caturamon, forcing the Ultimate level to jump back and destroy the cards with another sonic howl.

"Not just that, he's a Data attribute Digimon, and Angewomon is a Vaccine," Ai said, looking up Angewomon and Caturamon with her D-Ark.

"And Data Digimon have an advantage over Vaccine Digimon…" Kari muttered, remembering Kenta's words earlier about attributes.

"So Wizardmon will need a strong Virus attribute attack," said Mako, knowing that Wizardmon was a Data attribute Digimon that was fighting an Ultimate level.

"You are an absolute fool for fighting alongside humans, Wizardmon!" Caturamon snarled. "They are nothing but vain! Selfish! Cruel! Greedy! All they care about are themselves! They fight amongst themselves without a care!" Wizardmon fired his Thunder Cloud as Caturamon spoke and the lightning went into the Deva's mouth.

"Shut up already!" yelled the mage. "You may be right Caturamon. Humans can be foolish and arrogant beings, and they can be selfish and fight amongst themselves, but not all of them are like that forever. They can mend their ways, realize their mistakes and become better people! They can evolve like us Digimon! They can care about others…just like how Ai and Mako care about me."

"Yeah!" said Ai, glaring at Caturamon. "Impmon is family to us and we care about him! You don't!" Caturamon's throat was burned by Wizardmon's lightning, so he could only growl angrily before leaping up, beginning to transform into a hammer again and smash those who dared insult him.

However, this proved fatal as Angewomon saw Caturamon's yellow belly.

"Hit…his belly," she groaned, standing up with Kari's help. "His belly is a weak spot. Hit it there…and you may be able to win."

"He's right," Ai said, watching Wizardmon dodge the falling hammer. "It's not covered in armor."

"Then that's where we'll hit him," said Mako. "Wizardmon! Try sliding under him! I have a card ready!"

"It better be a good one," Wizardmon muttered as he ran right for Caturamon and dropped down on his back, sliding right under him. Knowing this was his cue, Mako swiped the card through the D-Ark.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DEVIDRAMON ACTIVATE!"

"CRIMSON CLAW!" Wizardmon's hands became Devidramon's large black ones and he thrust them up, the blood red claws burying themselves in Caturamon's stomach. The dog Digimon could only gag and gurgle as the claws went deeper into his body.

"DIGI-MODIFY! STRENGTH PLUG-IN Q!" Thanks to Ai, Wizardmon's strength increased, allowing him to lift Caturamon off the ground and throw him to the side. Caturamon groaned as he pulled himself back up, glaring at Wizardmon, data pouring out of his body.

"Y…you…" he growled, leaping up at Wizardmon, but Angewomon flew in right between the two, her bow ready to fire.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!" Kari, Ai and Mako looked away as the projectile went flying into Caturamon's mouth and tore through his head. The dog Deva could only look on in shock as he collapsed to the ground and turned to smoke.

"Okay, that was pretty gross," Mako said, making a face.

"I had him, you know," said Wizardmon.

"I know," Angewomon grinned, making her old friend roll his eyes.

"You have passed the second phase of your test Wizardmon," the mysterious voice boomed through the area. "Proceed for your third phase."

"Well…let's see what the last phase is," Wizardmon said, taking the lead with Angewomon.

* * *

"…and with Winning Percentage 40%, my Airdramon Digivolves to Megadramon, who takes out your Halsemon with Genocide Attack!"

"Aw, come on! That's the fifth game in a row! Cut me some slack here, I've never played this game before!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Juri no Theme)

Outside the temple entrance, Jeri had decided to pass the time by playing the Digimon card game with Yolei and Cody. While Cody had declined, Yolei was eager to learn and play, as well as do something to pass the time while Impmon went through his test. So far, the inheritor of Love had been unable to beat Jeri, who had learned much of what she knew from Rika, who was leaning on a nearby tree. The Digimon were off to the side, watching Jeri and Yolei play the game, while Cody continued hitting a tree with the stick in his hands.

"Sorry Yolei, but don't think I'm going easy on you!" Jeri said with a laugh.

"Tell me about it," Yolei pouted. "The last four games, you beat my Birdramon with a Whamon, my Togemon with a Growlmon, my Flybeemon with a BlackGreymon, and my Rinkmon with a Boltmon!"

"But you're learning," said Jeri. Yolei merely sighed as she stood up and walked off.

"Let's call it quits for now. How long has Impmon been in there anyway?"

"He's been in there for half an hour," said Renamon. "Whatever the test is, it seems to not be an easy one."

"Well, I hope he finishes this test soon so we can leave," said Yolei. "I'm worried what Ken's doing to the others right now, and we have to go home soon." Rika sighed with annoyance at Yolei's complaining and was prepared to finally rip into her when the sound of beeping caught everybody's attention. Looking into her pocket, where the beeping noise was coming from, Yolei saw that it was coming from her D-Terminal.

"What is it?" asked Armadillomon. Yolei opened her D-3 to read the message she got, and her face paled.

"Yolei…what's wrong?" asked Cody.

"It's an update from Izzy," said Yolei. "According to this, MagnaAngemon tried to kill TK and Davis, but Ken's partner Stingmon…took the blow for them…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"What?" Jeri gasped in shock. "Stingmon's…dead?"

"There's more," said Yolei. "Ken also put three more Dark Spirals on MagnaAngemon, making him even more powerful, and…wait…this can't be right…"

"Yolei, what is it?" Hawkmon asked when he saw Yolei's face become one of confusion.

"It says here Takato and Guilmon combined to become a Digimon called Gallantmon," she answered, getting looks of surprise from Jeri and Rika.

"Combined?" Cody asked, looking at the message in confusion. "Is that possible?"

"For us, it is," said Rika. "Myself, Takato, Henry and Ryo can Biomerge with our partners to help them reach the Mega level."

"You mean you actually fight alongside your partners?!" Yolei asked in surprise.

"We always have," said Rika, holding up the Digimon cards. "If Gallantmon is fighting MagnaAngemon, then our friends will have a chance until we get back with the sword."

"But that all depends," said Jeri. "Gallantmon may be a Mega level, but he's also a Virus attribute fighting a Vaccine attribute." Cody's face turned serious as he began heading back for the Hippogriffomon, Armadillomon following close by.

"Cody, where are you going?" asked Yolei.

"I'm going back to help our friends," said Cody. "We're wasting our time here waiting for Impmon to finish up a test just so he can get a sword. You said it yourself Yolei."

"Well, technically, that's not how I said it," said Yolei. "But maybe we should help out the others."

"Nobody's going anywhere!" said Rika. "We're not leaving without Impmon and the twins, and that includes Kari and Gatomon."

"But Rika, I think our friends could use some backup," said Jeri. "You and Renamon go on without us. I'll stay here with Yolei and Cody and wait for Impmon and the others to come back with the sword."

"Just Rika? Are you serious?!" asked Yolei. Rika glared at the lavender-haired girl, and Yolei shrank away from the glare.

"And do we even know if Impmon will come back with the sword?" Cody asked skeptically. "I don't trust him at all with this task!"

"Why do you not trust Impmon?" Elecmon asked with a raised eyebrow. Cody glared at the red Digimon before answering.

"I don't trust him because of what he's done in the past. He willingly accepted a deal from Caturamon to kill the Tamers and he killed you and absorbed your data in cold blood. After the evil things he did, he just becomes a Digimon partner without apologizing or facing any consequences for his actions and you just forgive him like that?"

"Did you not see what he did when he showed us his memories from yesterday?" Rika asked, angry at Cody's harsh words about Impmon. "He nearly died helping us free Jeri from the D-Reaper! He died protecting Kari and Gatomon from Myotismon. Those are pretty harsh consequences, if you ask me. He's had a hard life, being ripped away from his Tamers, stripped of his memories, and spent four years as a ghost! And all that time, he never said 'I'm sorry' for what he did because he knew apologizing wouldn't cut it! He's changed for the better and redeemed himself, and I will not let you talk bad of him like that, you stuck-up little brat!"

"What did you just say to me?!" Cody growled, glaring up at Rika. The red-haired Tamer glared back and it took everything inside of Cody to not back away from Rika, whose glare looked like it could kill if she was a basilisk.

"Rika's right Cody!" said Jeri. "I've forgiven Impmon as well. All of us Tamers have. And I don't think Gatomon and Kari would like it if they heard you talking about Impmon like that. You talk about honor, yet you insult and belittle someone behind their back, which is dishonorable! That makes you an absolute hypocrite!" Cody could only gape at Jeri, her comment about him being dishonorable stunning him.

"Hey, don't talk to Cody like that!" Yolei said, glaring at Rika as well. "What is your problem, Rika? Ever since we first met, you have done nothing but belittle and insult me and Cody every chance you had. You don't seem to act like this to the other Digidestined, or your friends, so why us?" Rika sent a glare Yolei's way before looking at Cody again. The red-haired girl breathed deep before answering.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"Do you want to know why? I'll tell you why. Do understand that I don't hate you. I don't even dislike you. I do like you, but what I don't like are your personalities. I've seen how you are in the TV show, and seeing you in person, it confirms my suspicions that in real life, you are exactly the same as your TV counterparts." She pointed to Yolei, "You are nothing but a loud and obnoxious fangirl who obsesses over boys, doesn't take things seriously, and complains over every single little thing while thinking she's all that and better than others when she's not," she then pointed to Cody, "and you are a judgmental little brat who cares more about honor and stupid Kendo than friends, you don't trust anyone with a dark background that's trying to redeem themselves, the moment someone does something you think doesn't agree with your views you leave them behind in the dust without a second thought, and you take things way too seriously." The inheritors of Love and Knowledge could only gape at Rika in shock. "And what's more, neither of you are taking this seriously. There is a bigger picture here that you don't understand yet."

"We are taking this seriously!" said Cody. "We know we have to stop Ken from taking over the Digital World, destroy the Control Spires, and break all the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals."

"But it's not simple," Yolei said sheepishly. "We have our own lives to live…"

"And you're lucky," said Jeri. "The original eight had to spend months on end in the Digital World, fighting to stay alive with little to no way to return home. That's how it also was for Ryo, Davis and Ken, and that's how it was for me and Rika, and the other Tamers. Eventually, you'll have to stay in the Digital World for longer than a day. This may have to become a permanent thing."

"You mean…we may have to stay in the Digital World for days on end and not come home?" asked Yolei, eyes widening in shock. Cody was shocked as well.

"Yes," Rika said with a nod. "Coming to the Digital World for a few hours every day will not speed up the process of stopping Ken. The only way we can make real progress is if we stay here and don't leave until it's finished."

"I…I don't know about that," said Cody. "Our families may worry…"

"Then just tell them about the Digimon!" snapped Rika. "And as for the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals, that's all you've been doing so far, breaking brainwashing devices on innocent Digimon. But let me ask you two a question: What will happen when you face a truly evil Digimon that will not hesitate to kill you or your loved ones if given the chance? The answer: Kill him."

"What?!" Yolei and Cody asked in shock.

"You're saying we…we may have to kill Digimon?!" Yolei asked, shaking a little at the thought.

"That's unacceptable!" said Cody. "My grandfather always says that all life is precious! We can't just kill Digimon!"

"You have to if you want to live," said Rika. "We've had to do that as well back home…and we had no choice. The Digimon there were about the law of the wild, kill or be killed. We had to adapt to that as well if we wanted to live and ensure no damage was done to our home."

"Don't you understand?" asked Jeri. "Eventually, you'll have to make the tough choices like us. If you don't, then everything and everyone you love and care about will be destroyed."

"But what if there's another choice?" Cody asked, still uneasy. "If there are evil Digimon, then they should be brought to justice for their evildoings."

"Oh, really? And how exactly will that be possible when the Digital World has no courts to judge them and deem them guilty? No prisons to hold them?" asked Rika. "We have to kill them."

"That is our justice," said Renamon simply. "What will you do when it comes down to it? What is more important to you? Taking one life and saving many more…or sparing said life and letting many others perish?"

"I…but…" Cody stammered, uncomfortable about the whole talk while Yolei stayed quiet and let what Rika and Jeri said sink in to her. She was beginning to understand why Rika was like this towards her and Cody. The Tamers, as well as Davis, TK, Kari and the older Digidestined had been through more than she and Cody could even begin to possibly imagine. Rika wasn't insulting them for fun. She was trying to make them understand the seriousness that came with being a Digidestined, and she didn't want them to freeze up or hesitate at all during a battle, or treat it like it was a video game.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"So that's why you say we're weak…" she looked down sadly. "Maybe we really aren't taking this seriously."

"It's not just that," said Elecmon. "You don't believe in the strength we possess, the strength that you possess. You look at a situation and you immediately think it's hopeless without even trying to fight back, or believing that there is a way to win. A true warrior never stops fighting until the battle is won, until their very last breath has been drawn. You are Digidestined, and it is high time you prove it. Only by believing in your strength will your Digimon be able to Digivolve further and become stronger."

"But what about Impmon?" asked Cody, wanting to get back on the current subject that had them talking in the first place.

"I'd say Impmon has more than paid for his crimes," said Renamon. "He has atoned for his past sins and he has been forgiven."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that he was a pawn in the Devas' plans against you," Cody replied stubbornly. "The Devas may have answered for their crimes, and Millenniummon may have answered for what he did to the older Digidestined, but even those who are pawns need to face justice as well." That had always been Cody's philosophy given how his father died.

"Is that why you have a problem with Ken?" asked Yolei. "Even though you know he's being brainwashed by a Dark Spore?" Cody merely nodded.

"Okay, let me ask you this question," said Rika. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on Ken and Impmon? How do you think it would feel if you were being controlled by an outside force and had no control over your thoughts and actions, and everybody knew, but still refused to forgive you? Or if you were so desperate enough for power, you'd believe and do anything you were told for that power, even if it meant hurting your friends? And then you realize your mistakes and do everything you can to atone, but nobody forgives you for it? How do you think that would feel?"

"Impmon has acknowledged his ignorance, and I know Ken will as well when we free him from the Dark Spore's influence," said Elecmon. "But can you bring yourself to forgive them?"

Cody was silent as he pondered on Rika's words as well as Elecmon's. From what he had seen, Impmon was truly sorry about what he had done, but the small devil knew saying a simple apology would not be enough to fix it, hence everything he had done for the Tamers and Gatomon. And Ken may have been acting evil, but according to Ryo, it was an effect of Millenniummon's influence and Dark Spore. If Ken wasn't being controlled, then he certainly wouldn't be acting like this. In the end, both Ken and Impmon were innocent, which was more than he could say for the men that were responsible for taking his father from him. None of them were sorry for what they had done. The man who pulled the trigger only cared about making money, and the man who hired the sniper wanted his political opponent out of the way. They deserved to face justice and be in prison for what they did. He believed Ken and Impmon were in the same mold as well, but after being berated by Rika for it, as well as looking back at Impmon's memories…perhaps he was being too harsh towards them.

"Maybe…maybe you're right…" the brown-haired boy looked down forlornly. "Maybe I am being too hard on Impmon and Ken…Impmon is a partner Digimon…and Ken doesn't know he's being used…"

"You know I'm right," Rika said before turning and walking away with Renamon, Jeri and Elecmon, leaving Yolei and Cody to their thoughts.

"Yolei…?"

"Cody…?"

Both Digidestined ignored their partners' calls to them as they stayed quiet, Rika and Jeri's words still simmering in their memories.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Dream World)

"We should be approaching the end of the test soon," said Angewomon, taking the lead with Wizardmon in the white tunnel. Neither Digimon had reverted to their previous forms after fighting Caturamon, as they believed whatever the final test was, it would end in a fight much like the previous tests. As they walked, Wizardmon looked up at Angewomon before looking down at Ai and Mako, and then to Kari, with a feeling of wanting to say something.

"You know…I want to tell you all how grateful I am that you accepted me, despite my past sins. Even after everything I've done, you offered me nothing but kindness and friendship."

"Everybody has a light side and a dark side to them Wizardmon," Kari said with a smile. "And I want to believe in the light."

"Yeah," said Ai. "Who cares what you did in the past?"

"You're our friend," smiled Mako.

"And you two are my friends as well," Wizardmon said with a smile of his own, though his high collar concealed it. "You, Kari, are my friend as well."

"Thank you," the brown-haired girl smiled.

"Angewomon, you are my friend as well. My first true friend."

"And you are mine as well," the female angel said with a smile of her own.

"And the other Tamers and the Digidestined, they are my friends as well. And even Witchmon and the Digimon I lived with in Witchenly," he continued. "For the first time in quite a long time, I feel like I'm no longer alone."

"For now, at least," a snide voice rang in the near distance, making everybody stop.

"Great, another voice interrupting us," Angewomon muttered, making out a tall shadow in the fog, slowly walking towards them.

"Whoever it is, he must be the final part of the test," Kari thought aloud.

"Well, who is it?" Mako squinted his eyes in order to see the figure better. "He looks familiar."

"I know who that is," said Wizardmon, whose voice had dropped down to below a whisper. "But it can't be."

"What can't be?" Ai asked confusedly. What was it about this shadow that made WIzardmon uneasy, and not angry like Indramon and Caturamon?

"Don't be so surprised. After all, sometimes…" the figure stepped out of the fog and was revealed. Everybody gasped at what they saw. A tall figure that towered over Angewomon and wore black clothes and a black leather jacket, a tail trailing from his lower back. A shotgun strapped to his back and another shotgun in a holster on his leg. And three blood-red eyes poking out of a purple helmet, looking down at the group of five.

"…your greatest enemy is yourself," finished Beelzemon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"What is this? Who are you?" Wizardmon demanded, holding up his wand. Beelzemon simply chuckled as he looked down at the mage Digimon.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm your dark side Wizardmon. I'm the side of you that craves power. I'm the side that's been with you ever since you accepted the deal from Caturamon. I'm the side of you that wishes to be alone. And you cannot deny it Wizardmon, because I am you."

"No…that can't be!" said Kari.

"Why can't it be?" Beelzemon asked with a smirk. "You said it yourself doll-face. Everybody has a light side and dark side…even you have one."

"Leave her out of this!" said Wizardmon. "If you are a part of me, then this should just be between you and me." Wizardmon glowed brightly and shrank back down to Impmon, the small devil glaring up at the demon lord Digimon.

"You're right! It should just be you as always," Beelzemon said with a laugh. "Isn't that how you do things all the time? Alone?" Impmon backed up slightly in shock.

"Are you implying I do things all the time by myself?"

"Of course! Isn't that how it is for you? You craved the power to Digivolve by yourself without a human, which is why you abandoned Ai and Mako. You wanted to achieve the power alone. What about when you returned to the Digital World after the D-Reaper was defeated? You left the Digimon you called your friends so you could find Ai and Mako alone. You lost your memories along with Leomon, and even though you traveled with him, you left so you could be alone. Though Witchmon and her family, and the Digimon of Witchelny accepted you into their culture, you felt like you never truly belonged with them and you wanted to continue being alone. And when Gatomon saved you from dying, you were ready to leave her once you woke up so you wouldn't be with anybody. You have always been alone and wanted to be alone, because you wanted to become strong, and you know you could never be strong and have power if you were sticking around with losers like these. Face facts, Impmon. We were meant to be alone. Only by being alone, can you be strong!"

"No…that's not true!" Impmon yelled, but he was choking on his words. He wanted to deny that he had never been alone, but everything Beelzemon was saying was true. Ai, Mako, the Tamers' partners, Gatomon, Witchelny…they had always been friendly and offered to stay with him, but there always came a point where he left them, intentionally or not. And it was sometimes to be alone. He had been alone a long time in his life.

Gatomon's words from their first meeting came back to him: " _When you live in solitude for so long, your heart becomes cold._ " Perhaps this was what the white cat meant. His heart had become cold and hard because he preferred to be a loner.

"And if you do stay with them, do you honestly think Ai and Mako will be with you forever?" Beelzemon's taunting voice continued. "Humans aren't like Digimon. Eventually, they'll die, and they can't be reborn like us. Whether they grow old or a Digimon kills them…one of these days it will be all over, your humans will leave you for good…and you'll be alone for the rest of your life. If you want my advice, you should ditch them for good and not worry about the pain of seeing them die."

"L…leave them…?" Impmon choked.

"Don't listen to him, Impmon! He's just a big, fat liar!" said Mako.

"Yeah! We'll never leave you!" said Ai.

"But…but everything he says…it's true…" Impmon dropped on his hands and knees, his green eyes slowly welling up with tears. "All my life, I've been a loner…always relying on my own strength to Digivolve…Digimon are practically immortal, but humans…they never live forever. Eventually, they die…and then what?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Program Kidou)

"They never truly go away," Angewomon said kindly, walking over and bending down, placing a hand on Impmon's back. "It is true Impmon. Humans do die and they don't come back. I know there will be a day where I'll never see Kari again…but I will always have my memories of her…and you will always have your memories of Ai and Mako…"

"Impmon…we promise, we'll never leave you." Ai walked over and wrapped her arms around Impmon in a warm hug.

"You'll always be with us," Mako hugged Impmon as well. "And we'll always be with you."

"As long as you hold those precious memories and never lose them again…you'll never be alone," Kari walked over and finished the hug. Nearby, Beelzemon rolled his eyes and groaned at the scene.

"Ugh, I think I'm going to barf. Too much sweetness. Give me a break! Do you honestly think hanging out with humans will make you strong again?"

"Yes, they can!" Impmon glared, looking up at his Mega form. "You may be right when you say that Ai and Mako will leave me forever one day, but you're wrong when you say I'll be left alone forever, and I want to be alone forever! I may act like a jerk to everybody, and I may act like I don't want anybody close to me…but I don't want to be alone ever again! A person alone can be strong…but somebody that's backed by his friends and loved ones is much stronger! So you can get out of here!"

"I can't," Beelzemon laughed as he began fading away. "Like I said, I'm your dark side Impmon. I'll never leave you…"

"But I'll be damned if I ever allow myself to go down that dark path again," said Impmon. "And if I do…then at least I'll have friends to pull me back to the light." The purple demon continued glaring at Beelzemon until the biker demon was completely gone. Once he was sure he was gone, Impmon moaned and dropped to his knees.

"Impmon…are you okay now?" asked Ai, helping her shared partner up. Impmon breathed several times before smiling and looking relaxed.

"Yeah…I think I'm okay now," said Impmon. The fog suddenly began fading away, leaving everybody in a dark tunnel again.

"What's going on now?!" Kari asked in surprise. Her question was answered moments later when the sound of stone doors opening was heard, and a light shone in front of them. None of them knew what do to as they looked at the light, but Impmon had a gut feeling telling him what this meant.

"Come on." Impmon walked into the room with everybody following him. The room they walked into was a massive chamber with white pillars, and a bright light shone throughout the area.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Ansoku)

"What is this place?" asked Mako.

"This is the place where the Dashenbian resides," a voice answered. The group stopped, recognizing the voice as the one that told Impmon that he had passed the first two phases of his test. At the end of the room, a Digimon wearing white armor and a purple cape sat cross-legged, his eyes on the small group that stood before him. A sword glowing orange sat by his side.

"And you are?" asked Angewomon.

"I am Mistymon," said the Digimon, "and I was chosen to guard the Dashenbian sword years ago, keeping an eye on it until someone worthy of it came for it. And now, that someone has appeared," Mistymon stood up and walked over to Impmon, "and the sword has chosen him."

"You mean…me?" asked Impmon.

"Yes Impmon. You have passed the test," said Mistymon. "Only one of true strength and power can be able to wield the Dashenbian, and you have shown it in your test. True power and strength do not come from being alone. It comes from the bonds of friendship you forge with others, and acknowledging them. You have given strength to your partners, and they have given strength to you as well. By accepting them, the Dashenbian has chosen you to be worthy."

"So, where is this sword?" asked Impmon, noticing the sword Mistymon left behind. "Is that it?"

"Actually, that's my own sword," Mistymon said, picking up the orange blade. "The Dashenbian is over here." Mistymon led the group to the far end of the room, where a black box sat. Mistymon raised his arm in the air, and the top of the box opened up, revealing a blood-red jagged blade.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shouri Zen no Theme)

"Is this it?" asked Angewomon.

"Yes. This is the Dashenbian," said Mistymon. The sword began glowing brightly as it floated out of the box and towards Impmon. "Take it, Impmon. It is yours." Impmon looked at the sword nervously, sweat running off his face as he raised his hand and took hold of the red blade. The moment he took the sword, the Dashenbian burst into data particles that flew into Impmon's body. As this happened, Ai and Mako's D-Ark flashed briefly before a light began shining in Mako's pocket.

"Woah…what was that?" Impmon asked, feeling different from before. "I feel funny…"

"The Dashenbian has become a part of you Impmon," said Mistymon. "By acknowledging your friendship with Gatomon and the other Digidestined, and accepting Ai and Mako as your partners, you have gained the ability to Digivolve to your Ultimate level, and you can once again become Beelzemon."

"What…seriously?" Impmon asked in surprise. A gasp of surprise from Mako made Impmon look around to see Mako holding a card that was glowing brightly: A Blue Card.

"Yes, but your Ultimate level will be the only stage where you'll be able to wield the Dashenbian," said Mistymon. "Use this power wisely Impmon."

"I will," said Impmon, smiling lightly at Ai and Mako. "I promise I won't forget my friends anymore…or my family." The twins' eyes watered as they ran over to Impmon and hugged him tightly.

"If we have the sword now, let's get back to the others," said Angewomon. "I fear they may need our help." Everybody nodded and ran out of the room, Mistymon bidding them farewell.

'Good luck, Impmon…for you are a warrior of true darkness…'

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"ROYAL SABER!"

"SOUL VANISHER!"

The two attacks collided in midair as Gallantmon and MagnaAngemon continued their battle. The Royal Knight had managed to break another Dark Spiral, leaving only one left. Unfortunately, the only Dark Spiral left was the one on his left arm, which was protected by MagnaAngemon's beam shield.

The battle had been going on for several minutes now, and though Gallantmon was a Mega level Digimon fighting an Ultimate level in MagnaAngemon, he was still a Virus attribute fighting a Vaccine attribute. What was more was the injuries he had sustained earlier as WarGrowlmon were still lingering, which meant he couldn't fight at his full strength, even with Takato, and every time MagnaAngemon received major damage, he would instantly use his Magna Antidote to heal his injuries. And the other Digimon were still injured and unable to help. Until Impmon returned, it was up to the Royal Knight.

"FINAL ELYSION!" Gallantmon fired another blast from his shield, but it was not as strong as before, as MagnaAngemon only slid back several feet, protected by his beam shield.

" _Takato, it's no use…I'm running low on power…_ " Guilmon moaned to Takato, who was beginning to tire out as well.

"I know Guilmon…I'm beginning to go out as well…" Takato said. "Come on Impmon, Jeri…where are you guys?"

"HEAVEN'S GATE!" MagnaAngemon opened his golden gate again and the beam of light flew out at Gallantmon. The white-armored knight raised his shield to defend himself, but the light blasted him hard and sent him off his feet. Gallantmon rolled on the sand before falling on his chest.

"Gallantmon!" called Kenta worriedly. "Come on, get up buddy!"

"It may not be much use," said Henry. "His earlier injuries must be catching up to him, as well as his attribute as a Virus…"

"No! It can't end like this!" yelled Davis. "We will win!"

"Still as optimistic as ever, Davis!" Ken said, laughing like crazy. "But I told you your Royal Knight would be unable to defeat an archangel Digimon! MagnaAngemon, finish them all off starting with Gallantmon!"

"Takato, get out of the way!" Kazu yelled as MagnaAngemon leaped up towards Gallantmon, his sword held high and ready to strike Gallantmon down…

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

"TALISMAN OF LIGHT!"

The two attacks flew out of the sky and hit MagnaAngemon, knocking him aside and allowing Gallantmon to stand back up. Looking to the sky, the Royal Knight felt relieved when he saw Taomon and Angewomon fly out of the sky with Leomon, Wizardmon, Halsemon, Digmon and their partners.

"Hang on, guys!" called Yolei. "The cavalry's arrived!"

"Well, it's about time!" said Rapidmon.

"Ha!" yelled Ken. "Do you think extra help will be enough? I've already won! You have no idea who I truly am, do you?!"

"No, I don't," Wizardmon said, slowly approaching the insane Digidestined. "But I do know when somebody is just being used, and you are being used right now. You're just making a fool out of yourself right now."

"Who the hell are you to judge me?!" Ken snarled at the mage Digimon, who didn't seem intimidated by the threat before him.

"I know what it's like to be used," Wizardmon continued. "To crave something so much, but nothing comes from it except for pain and grief. That is something I will not allow to happen to you."

"You think…you think I need saving?!" Ken asked hysterically. "I don't need saving! The only thing that needs saving is this world, and I will silence anyone who gets in my way, even my own partner!"

"The way you're acting says otherwise," said Wizardmon, his grip tightening on his staff. Ken glared darkly at Wizardmon. How dare this fool think he can stop his moment?!

"I've had enough of this. MagnaAngemon, take him!"

"Ai, Mako! The Blue Card!" said Wizardmon. The twins nodded and Mako quickly pulled out the Blue Card, surprising the Tamers.

"They have a Blue Card!" gasped Henry.

"Then that must mean…" Ryo started.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!" Mako swiped the card through the slot as Calumon's mark began glowing brightly and Wizardmon began changing.

"WIZARDMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…"

 _Who you want to become, what you see in your dreams_

 _You can not ask anyone for help_

 _Try, sometimes there's kindness we bare our fangs at_

The mage Digimon's body crackled with red and black lightning as he grew taller. The light faded and his new form was revealed. He wore white clothing and his right arm was covered in a tall white sleeve with black belts, his left arm resembling Beelzemon's. Black boots adorned his feet, and the long cape on his back looked like it was made from paper. A red book was chained to his back, and a red scarf was wrapped on his left arm. His face was covered with a black mouthpiece and his blond hair stuck out of a blue cloth, a red eye poking out of the middle of his head. The only visible part of his face were his red eyes.

 _When there's something we want to protect_

"BAALMON!"

 _The world will change, I know it, you can overcome the pain_

"A…amazing!" Tai gasped, seeing the new Digimon before them.

"Wizardmon's…Ultimate form…" Angewomon gasped.

 _There's no time for doubt, you've got to fight_

 _The scenery will change, because you have the courage not to fear the sky_

 _You can take off, looking for another you_

"Who is that?" asked TK. Rika quickly pulled out her D-Ark for analysis.

"Baalmon. Demon Man Data Digimon. Ultimate level. A mighty warrior that is said to have a solution for nearly every problem he's in. His special attacks are Guiltish, which can turn his amulets into various weapons, and Kamiuchi, a strike with the Dashenbian sword, said to be effective against Holy-type Digimon."

"Baalmon…looks awesome!" said both Ai and Mako.

"Digimon Emperor, I shall give you one chance to surrender now, or I will attack with everything I have," said Baalmon, his voice low and cool as he spoke. Ken could only growl at the Digimon who thought he could be able to defeat MagnaAngemon.

"Hmm…if that is your answer, then you leave me with no choice!"

 _Thinking of more excuses_

Baalmon placed on foot forward, and the next thing anyone knew, the warrior had cleared the twenty-foot distance between himself and MagnaAngemon in a split second.

 _Will you once more put the blame on something else?_

 _Cry, it's not we get hurt and get passionate_

"KAMIUCHI!" Baalmon raised his left arm into the air, and the red Dashenbian blade appeared in his hands before he swung it down. MagnaAngemon barely had time to raise his beam shield when the sword came crashing down. The force of the strike made MagnaAngemon stumble back, and when he looked down at his left arm, he was shocked to see a crack in his shield.

 _That we live to the fullest_

 _Tomorrow will change face the tears_

"GUILTISH!" Baalmon took advantage of MagnaAngemon's shock to spread his cape, and numerous paper pieces flew off, turning into sharp projectiles that riddled MagnaAngemon's body. The Digidestined were surprised at how the Ultimate level was holding his own against MagnaAngemon.

 _There's no place to hide, now you've gotta fight_

 _History will change, because from now on you've vowed to have no regrets_

 _You can destroy the weak you and be reborn_

'Amazing…I guess MagnaAngemon may have met his match…hopefully,' TK thought as he watched the battle intently and anxiously. His hopes of having his partner back now rested in Baalmon's hands.

Ken was having a similar thought as well. 'This cannot be…MagnaAngemon is supposed to be one of the most powerful Ultimate level Digimon! There can't be an Ultimate level stronger than him!' The boy gritted his teeth angrily. He would not allow some…hobo-looking Digimon to rob him of his chance to finish off Davis and Ryo.

"MagnaAngemon! Don't just stand there! Attack him! Kill him!" MagnaAngemon obliged and flew at Baalmon, swinging his sword for a decapitation, but Baalmon blocked the strike with his sword. The demon man kicked MagnaAngemon back with his foot and charged again.

"KAMIUCHI!" The Dashenbian swung out and struck MagnaAngemon's body, leaving a long cut on his chest. The angel Digimon staggered back and crossed his arms to perform his Magna Antidote, but Baalmon was much faster at acting. He raised his right arm and the sound of a gunshot was heard from it. Two bullets flew out and slammed into MagnaAngemon's leg.

"ARGH!" MagnaAngemon yelled as he dropped down to one leg, and Baalmon was instantly on him again, striking him at fast speeds with powerful kicks from his legs and swipes from his sword.

"GUILTISH!" This time, the attack had the papers flying forward and exploding, forcing MagnaAngemon to take flight. Unfortunately, Baalmon leapt up and spread his cape to fly. The battle continued with a clash of swords until Baalmon swung in a full circle and the Dashenbian caught the golden band on MagnaAngemon's wrist, breaking it and robbing him of his sword. Another swipe of the sword, and the beam shield split in half, exposing the Dark Spiral.

 _The world will change, I know it, you can overcome the pain_

"Baalmon's actually doing it…" Davis said with a big smile. "He's actually winning!"

"No…NO!" Ken yelled in anger. This could not be possible! How could he lose again?

 _There's no time for doubt, you've gotta fight_

 _The scenery will change, because you have the courage not to fear the sky_

"It's over!" Baalmon's left arm moved in a flurry of motions on MagnaAngemon's left arm, the Dark Spiral falling to pieces. The angel Digimon fell out of the sky as he felt his energy leave. MagnaAngemon landed on the sandy floor of the desert, reverting to a tired Tokomon.

 _You can take off, looking for another you_

"Tokomon!" TK cried happily, running over and scooping up his partner. Tokomon was unconscious, but he was still alive.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Davis yelled, pumping his fist into the air. The rest of the team celebrated as well at the battle finally ending. Baalmon dropped back down next to his Tamers, who stared at him in awe.

"Baalmon…you were amazing!" gasped Ai.

"Yeah, that was awesome!" cheered Mako.

"It wasn't just me that did it," Baalmon said, looking down at his Tamers with soft eyes.

"It's not over yet," Ryo said, looking off in the distance where Ken was. "Like I said, this ends today."

"Yeah…let's get him!" Davis began walking forward along with Ryo and the others. Most of the Digimon returned to their Rookie forms, Taomon, Angewomon, Cyberdramon, Leomon, and Baalmon remaining in their evolved forms. As they walked, Cyberdramon was at the very back, feeling funny as he walked slowly. He was feeling something dark build up inside of him. It had been building up for the last two days since he touched Ken. He knew deep down what this feeling was. He should have figured the Dark Spore in Ken would react with the data in his body, but he foolishly assumed it wasn't true. And now, he was awakening…and Cyberdramon couldn't fight it.

* * *

Ken was kneeling in the sand, a mortified look on his face. How had it come to this?

He remembered when this all started. Ryo had vanished, and Davis had all but stopped contacting him after Sam died. He was alone with only Wormmon there for him. Then some dark thought came to him, convincing him that Davis and Ryo had abandoned him and didn't care about him, and that he should take revenge on them when he had the chance. He embraced the thought.

And then the next time he went back to the Digital World, he had learned about the balance between light and darkness, and how the light was threatening to eradicate the entire Digital World without darkness to keep the balance in check. He learned that he had to be the one to do it, that he had to rule the Digital World as its Emperor of Darkness.

So he adopted an outfit and became the Digimon Emperor, and he went about the Digital World, telling the Digimon to wreak havoc and destroy everything around them, to bring darkness back. The Digimon didn't listen to him. They laughed at him and called him crazy and delusional. The insults only served to anger him, and he decided to force them to do what he said.

He created the Dark Rings and the Control Spires, and he began spreading them about the Digital World. Before long, he became the most powerful and the most feared individual in the Digital World. He was unstoppable.

And then Davis returned with the Digidestined in tow, and he found it an opportunity to take revenge on Davis for abandoning him. He would destroy them and the Digidestined, and nobody left would oppose him.

But Davis and his friends were resourceful. They had found Digimentals to battle him with, and they started destroying the Control Spires. That's when he began to take it seriously.

He captured all of the new team but Davis and was very close to killing Davis…but then Ryo returned with new friends, and their Digimon could bypass the Control Spires, and they even enabled the older Digidestined to bypass the Spires as well.

He had then decided to change things by taking Agumon and using the new Dark Spirals to make him fight the Digidestined, thinking their reluctance to fight their friend would be their downfall. Instead, Davis received a new Digimental, and the Digidestined and the Tamers did not hold back at all.

But then, he received the greatest slave yet when he managed to capture MagnaAngemon. But despite how powerful MagnaAngemon was, they still managed to defeat him. And Stingmon had betrayed him as well, leading to his own death.

It simply wasn't right, and it could no longer be denied. No matter how many Digimon he threw at them, they would come right back and win.

"I lost…" he muttered, pounding his fist into the sand before yelling in anger. "How!? How could I have lost!? How could I have been denied my revenge…my destiny?!"

"Because this wasn't your destiny." Ken looked up and yelled in shock when he saw Baalmon towering over him, a dark look of sympathy on his face. "And revenge is never good."

"Ken…that's enough," Ryo said, walking up with Davis. "We don't want to keep fighting you…and I know there's a part of you that doesn't want this anymore, especially after what happened to Stingmon."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

"What would you know?!" Ken snapped, looking up at the two in anger. "Three years…three years I never heard from either of you! And now…you think you can just…waltz back into my life and try to be my friends again like nothing happened?!"

"No…we can't," Davis said sadly. "A lot has happened, and we're to blame for it. Maybe had we stayed with you for the last three years, none of this would be happening. Do you honestly think taking over the Digital World is the correct answer for saving it?"

"Of course it is!" Ken said harshly. "The world needs light and darkness. You only see darkness as evil and you prejudice it because it's been abused by evil Digimon like the Dark Masters for years! Light and darkness cannot exist without each other! Why can't you idiots realize that?!"

"You're right," said Baalmon. "Neither light nor darkness can be classified as good and evil. They are both elements that can be used by either side for their benefit."

"Maybe you're right," TK said grudgingly. "There is that, but then there is everything Ken's done in the last few weeks!"

"All you've been doing is causing pain and suffering to the Digimon and to us!" Davis said angrily. "Dammit, Ken…WAKE UP AND REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" The burgundy-haired boy's hand swung up and smacked Ken in the face. Nearly everybody gasped as Ken staggered from the slap and fell on his side.

"Ken…please…" Veemon begged quietly. Ken pulled himself up on his hands, and as he did, he began feeling something strange inside of him, like a dark feeling inside of him was dissipating slowly from the slap he received from Davis. Suddenly, a blank look appeared on his face, as if he was in some kind of trance.

"I…what…what is this?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"That's all of reality crashing down on you," Rika said with a light glare. "You've been causing suffering Ken, and you need to realize that. Taomon…show him." Taomon nodded and raised her hands in the air. Before Ken could move, he began seeing himself creating Control Spires and placing them around the Digital World…striking Digimon mercilessly with a whip…imprisoning and enslaving Digimon…Stingmon being killed by one of his own slaves…attacking and trying to kill his own friends relentlessly…all while saying it was to bring proper peace and order to the Digital World. But with Taomon showing these memories to him…it never seemed like peace…only chaos…

And the entire time, Wormmon, Davis, Ryo and the others were trying to save him and mend their friendship with him, and he thought they were betraying him the entire time…

And suddenly, he saw another timeline where Davis never went to the Digital World until the beginning of school this year, where it was just him and Ryo against Millenniummon…and he saw a black orb from Millenniummon imbed itself in his neck, slowly corrupting Ken and driving him evil, making him forget the entire Digital World was real, making him think it was just a computer game, making his actions even worse than they already were. Once Taomon was done showing Ken these visions, the violet-haired boy could only stare in shock.

"No…no…no…this can't be…this can't be! It…it just can't…" he muttered over and over again, gripping his hair tightly.

"It is, Ken," Ryo said, looking down at Ken sadly. "Don't you see now? We just want to help you…"

"What…what have I…what have I done?!" Ken yelled, his breathing coming out in short gasps. "Everything…everything I've done…I'm a…I'm a murderer…I'M A MONSTER!"

Crying out in anger and sadness, Ken grabbed the clothes he was wearing and tore at them, throwing off the gloves, whip, cape and sunglasses, each one dissolving to pixels as they hit the ground. He fell to the ground as the rest of his Emperor uniform dissolved, leaving him a sobbing mess in his school uniform.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"Everyone…Sam…Ryo…Davis…Wormmon…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…!" Ken choked, grasping the sand in one hand while pounding the floor with his other fist. Davis could only look at his friend with a torn look, his heart breaking at the sight of Ken realizing his mistakes and crying out over them. Ryo had an equally sad expression, and the rest of the team, who looked angry or annoyed at Ken before, could now only look on sadly as well, realizing that though Ken had been brought back, it was not without its cost, or without the pain coming down hard.

Davis couldn't take the sight much longer, and he ran over to Ken, dropping down to his side and pulling him in close to a hug.

"Ken…it's okay…I'm here buddy…let it out…"

"Get off me," Ken shoved Davis away, though he didn't look angry. "I don't deserve anyone's pity…I don't deserve anybody's kindness…"

"Damn it Ken, don't do this!" Ryo said with his voice a mix between anger and sadness. "Don't shut us out! Can't you see we're trying to fix things? I'm sorry I left you for three years, but it's not like I planned for that to happen."

"He's right," said Davis. "I know I may not have been there for you after Sam, but I'm here now for you…for Wormmon…"

"Wo…Wormmon…" Ken gasped, dropping down to his knees again. "He…"

"He's dead Ken," Jeri said, her voice thick with sadness. It hurt her greatly to say that, as she couldn't bear the thought of seeing anybody else lose their partner Digimon, but it had happened again, and it was clear the pain Ken was going through was much like her own pain from losing Leomon. "I'm so sorry..."

"No! Not Wormmon too…" Ken sobbed, his mind flashing back to that day he saw a body lying in blood, and the number of mourners. He could only hit the ground again in sadness. "Why? First Sam…and now Wormmon…WHY DOES EVERYBODY I CARE ABOUT DIE?! Why am I…always left alone…?" The Digidestined and the Tamers' sadness only grew as they watched Ken mourn, realizing he had lost two people important to him. Yolei, who already looked sad from seeing Ken break down over realizing what he done, couldn't take it much longer and ran forward, dropping down next to Ken and rubbed his back for comfort, tears appearing in her eyes over seeing Ken mourn for his dead brother and partner.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"You're not alone," said Baalmon, remembering his test. "Your brother may be dead, but he still lives in you. The memories you have of him will always remain with you forever. You must never forget that."

"Okay, when did Beelzemon get all poetic?" Kazu whispered. "That's definitely not like him."

"He learned much from his test," Angewomon said simply.

"Ken…I know Sam is gone…" Davis said to Ken, "but Wormmon will be reborn someday…"

"And how will I know that he wants to continue being my partner? After everything I've done…"

"Because he never stopped believing in the real you," said Ryo, pulling out the Crest of Kindness and showing it to Ken. "Just like how I never stopped believing in you, and Davis as well." Nearby, Cyberdramon growled low enough for nobody to hear, and his fingers flexed as he looked at Ken, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Come on Ken," Davis held his hand out for Ken to take. "Let's get you home."

"After everything I've done?" asked Ken, shocked at Davis's gesture of friendship. "I don't…"

"That's in the past Ken," said Ryo. "We can't continue living in the past and think about what if this happened differently. It's time to live in the present, and focus on the future. Please Ken, we want to help you this time."

"Please…" Davis pleaded. Ken looked down at Davis's hand again before looking up at his old friends. The looks on their faces were looks of pleading. They wanted to help him…they wanted to make up for the lost time…and he needed their help. The boy pulled himself up and threw his arms around Davis and Ryo, shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry…for everything…"

"Don't," Ryo said firmly. "You're not to blame. Everything that happened was because of Millenniummon's influence on you."

"Come on Ken," Davis said with a soft smile. "Let's get you out of here." Davis and Ryo walked down the sand dune they were on with Yolei, Ken, Jeri and Rika, the child of Kindness taking up the rear. As they walked down however, a black blur suddenly shot past everybody and stopped in front of Ken, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. Everybody gasped when they saw Cyberdramon was Ken's attacker.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"Cyberdramon! What are you doing?! Ken's not our enemy anymore!" Ryo yelled out to his partner. Cyberdramon only roared as a black mist began appearing around his body and swirled around Ken's, the boy yelling in pain.

"Ken!" screamed Yolei and Davis. Jeri and Rika watched in horror as the mist flew off of Cyberdramon's body and into Ken's like black snakes. A sudden shock sent Cyberdramon off his feet and away from Ken. The child of Kindness landed on the sand with a grunt and Cyberdramon crashed in front of Ryo, reverting to Monodramon, who groaned in pain.

"Monodramon, are you all right?" Veemon asked, running over to his friend. "What was that all about?"

"It…it wasn't me…" Monodramon said shakily. "It was…him…" Ryo gasped in shock as he looked over to Ken in worry.

'Oh, no…'

"Ken, are you all right?" Yolei asked as she helped Ken up.

"I…I don't know…" Ken answered, staggering away from Yolei. He began feeling funny again, and it wasn't a good feeling. "What…what's happening?"

Ken's question was answered with a deep laugh echoing through the desert, making everybody freeze up in shock.

"At last…after all these years…" the deep voice said after laughing. Ken suddenly felt his skull split open, and he couldn't contain the blood-curdling scream that came from his mouth.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hakai to Konran Futatabi)

"Ken!" yelled Davis, who was shocked to see a black aura around Ken.

"Davis…that voice…!" Veemon said in shock. "It's…it's his voice…!"

"Whose voice?!" Davis began to ask, when it suddenly came to him. The Dark Spore, the black mist from Cyberdramon, and Monodramon having Millenniummon's data inside of him…

"It can't be…" the goggled boy said in shock.

"What can't be?!" asked Takato. "What's going on?!" The aura around Ken faded, and everybody yelled in surprise when he saw he was in his Digimon Emperor clothes.

"K…Ken…?" Yolei asked cautiously, slowly approaching the boy.

"Yolei! Get away from him!" shouted Ryo, his face one of panic. "I don't think that's Ken anymore!"

"Correct, Ryo," Ken said, but his voice sounded deeper than before, and when his eyes opened, they could see they were glowing blood-red, even through the glasses. "I'm finally back…after all of these years!"

"Who are you?!" asked Cody. The being that was Ken chuckled before answering.

"I am the true evil, the mastermind of the Dark Spores! I am Ryo's partner Digimon…I am Millenniummon."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Nante Tsuyoi Teki Nan da!)

"Millenniummon?!" Tai yelled as everybody had looks of shock on their faces.

"That's impossible!" gasped Izzy. "Ryo said Monodramon had absorbed Millenniummon's data! How can it be in Ken's body?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Izzy?" Millenniummon asked with a cruel chuckle. "Anything is possible in the Digital World. It is true. Monodramon had absorbed my data during our final clash all of those years ago, but I was not one to go so easily. With my powers of time travel, I was able to see how my final stand against Ryo, Ken and Davis would go, so during our final battle,I planted a Dark Spore inside of Ken before I left this dimension with Ryo, in the hopes that he would continue my legacy one day. Since the Dark Spore was an extension of myself, I could see everything Ken did, and it made me proud to see him bring darkness to the Digital World." The dark Digimon let out a loud laugh before continuing.

"But I wasn't content with merely watching. I wanted to act again, so I attempted to control Ryo's partner several times so I could conquer the Tamers' dimension, but it wasn't easy. He was truly a strong Digimon, able to suppress my control, but that didn't mean I wasn't able to make him go berserk now and then, or see everything that Monodramon saw. But shortly after the Tamers' partners returned from the Digital World, I began feeling something back in this dimension, and I knew it was my Dark Spore reacting inside Ken, turning him into the Digimon Emperor. And it enabled me to make Ryo's partner's outbursts more frequent. I knew Ryo would let his worries for Ken and his desire to help the Digidestined again take control of all his other thoughts, so I waited and I watched as the Tamers traveled here. Once we arrived, I intended to take control over Monodramon temporarily so I could find Ken and take over his body. That last battle disrupted my data badly that I'm unable to hold my current form for long, so I needed a host that wasn't as strong as Monodramon."

"You needed Ken," Angewomon growled, "since he had your Dark Spore."

"Correct!" Millenniummon laughed. "But the travel here caused my influence to be suppressed again, and I had to find another way. But then, when Cyberdramon grabbed Ken during your battle with MetalGreymon, the Dark Spore in Ken's neck reacted to my data, and I awoke again, stronger than before. I buried myself back in Monodramon's mind so Ryo wouldn't worry so much, but the damage was already done. All I needed was for the right opportunity to take over Cyberdramon temporarily so I could make physical contact with Ken and take his body over. Then today came…"

"…and you decided to take over Ken's body when he was feeling sadness and regret over his actions!" snarled Cody. "You fiend! Have you no honor?!"

"Do you?" Millenniummon asked, causing Cody to growl angrily.

"Damn you, Millenniummon!" TK yelled angrily. "Get out of Ken's body!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that just yet," said Millenniummon, an evil smirk on his lips. "I have need of a host body, but don't worry…I won't hurt Ken…much."

"You…!" Davis yelled as he pulled out his D-3, but Millenniummon acted faster. Raising his hands in the air, a dark blast of energy flew from Millenniummon's body and hit all of the Digidestined and the Tamers, sending them flying off the ground and knocking them unconscious. When the dust settled, all of the humans lay out cold on the desert floor, their exhausted Digimon reverting to the In-Training level: the older children's partners Koromon, Tsunomon, Yokomon, Motimon, Tanemon and Bukamon, the younger children's partners DemiVeemon, Tokomon, Nyaromon, Poromon and Upamon, and the Tamers' partners Gigimon, Gummymon, Kokomon, Hopmon, Kapurimon, Tsunomon and Bukamon. But Millenniummmon's gaze was on Ryo and Hopmon, as well as Calumon.

"Ah…they'll do." Millenniummon chuckled and walked over to the three, grabbing Ryo by the collar of his shirt, and trapping the two small Digimon in a small dark orb.

"Now, back to base," the evil Digimon said, turning around to leave when a gunshot was heard and two bullets flew past him. Turning to where the bullets flew by, Millenniummon saw Baalmon and Taomon standing off to the side, their weapons drawn and their Tamers standing ready with their D-Arks. None of them had injuries on their body, which made it clear to Millenniummon that the two Digimon must have been able to shield themselves and their partners when he released the dark energy.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Taiketsu)

"Millenniummon. Release them now!" Taomon said threatingly.

"Or else," said Baalmon, his sword and gun drawn out.

"I don't think so," laughed Millenniummon. "I have need of Calumon, and I want Ryo and Hopmon to watch as I destroy everything and everybody they love."

"Then we'll take them back by force!" Baalmon ran forward and leaped up with his sword drawn out. Before he could strike, a dark smoke covered Millenniummon and his new prisoners, and they completely faded away, leaving only sand for Baalmon to stab. The only thing that remained where they stood was Ken's D-3 and Crest of Kindness.

"No!" screamed Rika. "Get back here!" The red-haired girl ran to where Millenniummon disappeared, and kicked the sand in anger. Taomon and Baalmon looked at Rika with pity, while Ai and Mako were in shock.

"Did we…just lose?" Ai asked, completely shaken by what happened.

"I'm afraid so," said Baalmon, looking around the torn up desert and laying eyes on the unconscious humans and Digimon.

"Now what do we do?" Mako asked Rika, who was the oldest and more experienced. The red-haired girl looked around the battlefield as well, and could only feel uneasy about everything that had just happened. She picked up Ken's D-3 and Crest and stared at them with great worry.

"For the first time in a long time, Mako…I don't know…"

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 18

 **Just when things look like they're going up for the heroes, it comes down again hard. Millenniummon has left Cyberdramon and is now in Ken's body. The only question now is what Millenniummon has planned, and why he took Ryo and Calumon.**

 **Also, Yolei and Cody now have a lot to think about now regarding taking action against Digimon. I figured if anybody was going to rip into them like that, it had to be Rika.**

 **For those wondering how MagnaAngemon was able to hold off a number of Ultimate level Digimon, as well as Gallantmon, keep in mind what was said earlier in the chapter. By having his slaves from the last chapter engage the Digimon partners first, Ken was able to get the Digimon to waste their energy by having them free his slaves, and then he would have MagnaAngemon finish them off. And MangaAngemon was also able to replenish his energy constantly with Magna Antidote, giving him a distinct advantage.**

 **As for Gallantmon, keep in mind he's a Virus attribute fighting a Vaccine attribute in MagnaAngemon, and also, he was still injured from fighting moments ago as WarGrowlmon before merging with Takato, who was also injured due to his bond with Guilmon being high at the Ultimate level, where Takato can feel WarGrowlmon's injuries.**

 **Next time on Digimon Adventure Tamers: Kari's nightmares reach their peak as she is taken to the Dark Ocean, and Jeri is dragged in with her. Davis and Takato lead a rescue mission, where they confront the ruler of the ocean and learn of the Dark World's origins.**

 **Next chapter: The Call of Dagomon**

 **Now that Impmon is back and has reached his Ultimate level, here are the Digivolution lines for the Tamers' partner Digimon**

 **Guilmon-Growlmon-WarGrowlmon-Gallantmon-Gallantmon Crimson Mode**

 **Renamon-Kyubimon-Taomon-Sakuyamon**

 **Terriermon-Gargomon-Rapidmon-MegaGargomon**

 **Monodramon-Strikedramon-Cyberdramon-Justimon**

 **Elecmon-Leomon-GrapLeomon-SaberLeomon**

 **Impmon-Wizardmon-Baalmon-Beelzemon-Beelzemon Blast Mode**

 **Lopmon-Turuiemon-Antylamon-Cherubimon**

 **Kokuwamon-Guardromon-Andromon-HiAndromon**

 **Betamon-Dolphmon-Whamon-MarineAngemon**


	19. Chapter 19: The Call of Dagomon

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Successfully passing his test and gaining the Dashenbian sword, Impmon Digivolved to his Ultimate level Baalmon and defeated MagnaAngemon, but it was not without Stingmon sacrificing himself. These events made Ken Ichijouji, the Digimon Emperor, realize the error of his ways. But just when things seemed to finally end, Millenniummon's spirit exited Cyberdramon and possessed Ken, escaping with Ryo, Monodramon and Calumon…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Call of Dagomon

Davis groaned as he began to feel consciousness return to him slowly. His body ached terribly all over, and he couldn't tell up from down. He couldn't remember much as well, only that he and Ryo were helping Ken return home, when Cyberdramon grabbed Ryo and a black smoke went from Ryo's partner into Ken's…body…

'Millenniummon!' Davis thought in shock. He remembered now. Millenniummon's data had flown of out Cyberdramon and into Ken, who was susceptible to being controlled because of the Dark Spore of Millenniummon's. Millenniummon took control of Ken's body and blasted him and the others with dark energy, knocking them all unconscious. His shock then turned to anger as it suddenly came to him that Millenniummon had possession of Ken again, but this time it was much worse.

'That damn…!' The burgundy-haired boy sat up, and regretted it almost immediately when he felt a sharp pain in his body.

"Agh!" Wincing slightly, Davis looked down to see his shirt had been taken off, and several bandages were placed on his chest and stomach. Looking over the rest of his body, Davis saw that his goggles, shoes and socks had been taken off as well, and there were bandages on his arms, legs and face, the only article of clothing he currently wore being his shorts.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, and he looked around at his surroundings. Davis noticed he was in a room with white walls and a light shining from the ceiling. He sat on a bed, and when he looked to the side, he saw a small bathroom off to the side, and a table near the bathroom door. His shirt, socks, shoes and goggles sat on the table, along with his D-3 and D-Terminal. Slowly getting out of bed so he wouldn't jar his injuries, Davis walked over to the table and put his clothes back on, pocketed his D-3 and D-Terminal, and walked out of the room, wondering where Veemon and the others were, and where exactly he was. Was this Millenniummon's doing? He doubted it. If Millenniummon had captured them, then his devices wouldn't be there for him to use, and Millenniummon wouldn't have cared about tending to his injuries.

Opening the door and stepping out into the hall, Davis's eyes widened when he saw the hallway he was in went around in a circle, a courtyard in the middle of the house he was in. And in the middle of the courtyard was a giant statue of Piximon.

"What the…"

"You're awake. Good." Turning his head at the sound, Davis saw Rika walking over to him, a frown on her face.

"Rika…where are we?"

"We're at Piximon's house," answered the red-haired Tamer, motioning with her arm for Davis to follow her. The burgundy-haired boy walked with Rika, slightly confused. She didn't seem to have any bandages on her, nor was she walking with a slight limp.

"How come you're not hurt? And where are Veemon and the others?"

"They're in other rooms," said Rika, opening the door to another room. Davis walked in and stifled a gasp when he saw most of the others there. DemiVeemon lay on a bed, as well as Kari, Tai, Takato and their partners among several others, Renamon tending to them along with Kenta and a small pink Digimon that he guessed was Betamon's Mega level, MarineAngemon. "Millenniummon did a number on you guys."

"But what about you?" asked Davis, looking at Rika's unscratched body. "You don't look like you're hurt."

"That's because Taomon was able to shield me right when Millenniummon went all supernova on us," answered Rika. "She was also able to protect Baalmon and the twins, they're in another room with the rest of the group." Davis merely nodded and sat down next to the bed holding his partner and girlfriend. Like Davis, Kari and DemiVeemon had bandages on their bodies, and Nyaromon was sporting a bandage on her head as well. The burgundy-haired boy felt a spike of anger towards Millenniummon for hurting DemiVeemon again, as well as hurting Kari and his friends. Looking up, Davis saw that along with Tai, Koromon, Takato and Gigimon, the room was occupied by Matt, Sora, Kazu, Suzie, Jeri and Izzy, along with all their partners. Renamon and Kenta were tending to their injuries and MarineAngemon blew pink hearts from his mouth, which fell over his friends and healed their injuries slowly.

"You said the others are in the second room, right?" asked Davis.

"Yes," said Rika. "Joe woke up a while ago, and he and Piximon are tending to them right now." Davis stood up from his seat and walked out of the room and headed down to the room Rika pointed to. Sure enough, Joe and Piximon were looking over Mimi, TK, Yolei, Cody and Henry with help from Ai, Mako and Impmon.

'They're all here…except…' Davis noticed it immediately and he walked back to the first medical room and walked up to Rika.

"Hey, where's Ryo?" Rika stiffened slightly from Davis's question, and she looked up apprehensively. "I didn't see him in the other room. Did he wake up already, or is he in another room?"

"Davis…I think you should sit down…there's something I need to tell you," Rika said with hesitation, and Davis began having a bad feeling building up in his stomach. It seemed clear that whatever Rika was going to tell him about Ryo, it would not be good at all.

* * *

Ryo groaned as he began to wake up. His head was pounding like somebody had hit it with a hammer, followed by a hard punch from Rika. He winced as he felt his body stinging from injuries all over his body.

"Oh…my head…" the Legendary Tamer groaned as he pulled himself up, blinking at the light shining overhead. Standing up slowly, Ryo took in his surroundings. He was in a small room with black walls, a black floor and a black ceiling. A bed was placed in one corner, with a desk and chair at the foot of the bed. A sink was situated on the other side, along with a toilet. Wincing slightly as he moved, Ryo looked down to see several bandages on his arms, and the pain he felt from his stomach, legs and head indicated bandages on those areas as well.

Confused at his surroundings, Ryo looked around the room when he heard a whooshing sound behind him, and a dark, familiar voice speak to him.

"And so he awakens."

Ryo froze and turned slowly as he suddenly remembered what happened before he was knocked out. Although Ken Ichijouji stood before him dressed as the Digimon Emperor, it was actually his former Digimon partner Millenniummon possessing Ken's body after leaving Monodramon's body.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

"You…" Ryo growled, glaring angrily at Millenniummon, who simply smirked as he entered the room, the door closing behind him. "Where am I?"

"You're in my base, of course," Millenniummon answered, pulling out the chair and sitting in it. "Well, it did use to be Ken's base, but now that I'm in control, it's my base."

"Where's Monodramon? What did you do to him? And where are the others?"

"Oh, they're still alive," said Millenniummon, "I just left them back in the desert. As for Monodramon, I brought him here. Did you really think I would just put the two of you in the same cell? He's in his own room."

"I swear to God if you do anything to him…"

"At ease, Ryo," said Millenniummon, raising a hand to pause Ryo. "I haven't done anything to Monodramon…or Hopmon, as he is now after that energy blast I used on you and your friends. I have too much respect for you and Monodramon. He has definitely been a good partner to you. It's a pity really, that we never had that same thing between us. Actually…we did."

"No, we didn't," Ryo said darkly. "The entire time, you were trying to control Cyberdramon like your Dark Spore was controlling Ken just so you could take over the Tamers' dimension…"

"Because it was necessary," said Millenniummon. "Everything I've done is to maintain a balance between the light and darkness. I'm merely doing what chosen Digimon were truly meant to do. The Sovereigns, Gennai and Homeostasis, they think all forms of darkness are evil and they created the Digidestined to destroy them. But they fail to realize that darkness is just as important as the light. But they want the darkness destroyed because they want the worlds to be plunged into chaos. When Apocalymon fused me into Kimeramon, and when I merged with Machinedramon, I gained consciousness and understanding. I realize what needed to be done, and surely you know as well. After all, we're still partners Ryo."

"Unfortunately," Ryo said with a dark glare. "And yeah, you are right. Darkness isn't evil, and there is some proof, Impmon being a prime example. But some of the Digidestined don't exactly understand."

"Sadly, you are right," Millenniummon said with a sigh. "That's why I'll have to kill them and the Tamers."

"What?!" Ryo asked in anger.

"Like you said, they don't understand the importance of darkness, and they never will," said Millenniummon. "But you and I do Ryo. We are the only pair of human and Digimon that can truly do what the Digidestined were meant to do, and that is bring peace to the worlds. You are the only one I need alive for the future I have in mind."

"Don't think you're going to get away with this," Ryo said as Millenniummon left the room.

"I already have," the evil Digimon chuckled as he closed the door, leaving Ryo to fume to himself. The Legendary Tamer flopped on the bed in frustration, cursing himself for being stupid. He should have suspected something would go wrong whenever Ken and Monodramon got to close to each other, but his concerns for Ken, Davis and the Digidestined drove everything else from his mind, and even then, he didn't suspect something as bad as this would happen.

'I'm sorry guys…' he thought dismally. Ryo looked around the room, looking for anything he could use to possibly escape, but there was nothing of use. And even if he did escape, he probably wouldn't be able to get far knowing Millenniummon. He checked his clothes for anything, but the only things he had were his wallet, his cards…

…and his D-Ark!

It was still in his pocket. Ryo figured that Millenniummon didn't see the need to relieve him of it since he was in a different cell than Hopmon. Pressing a button so he could see what his partner was seeing, all he could see was darkness.

'Hmm…Hopmon must still be asleep,' he thought as he checked the screen. Thankfully, the screen wasn't filled with static, which meant Millenniummon was true to his word and no harm had been brought upon to Hopmon. Laying down in the bed, Ryo could only wonder what Millenniummon was planning to do now that he was free…and how he was going to get out of this.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Hypnos)

Millenniummon entered the monitor room, a smile of satisfaction on his face. It felt good to be alive once more and in a body. Though it wasn't his own one, Ken's body would certainly do for now as a host thanks to the Dark Spore. He didn't plan to stay inside Ken for long though. He did have some his power, but not all of it.

However, he would not be in this body forever. He already had a new plan forming, and the technology this base offered would make it happen, as well as his newest acquisition, which rested in a glass dome before him.

"Hello, Calumon. Comfortable?" The small white Digimon backed away from Millenniummon in fear, his back hitting the wall of the dome.

"Get away from me! You're not a nice Digimon, and I don't think you want to play!"

"Of course not," Millenniummon replied with a scoff. "Fun isn't something one considers having when maintaining balance. I have more important plans than having fun and playing games, and you, my little friend, are going to help me."

"H-help you? Why would I help you? You're mean!" Calumon said, trying his best to intimidate the evil Digimon before him, but failing miserably due to his small body shaking in fear, as well as his cute appearance.

"If you want to consider me mean," Millenniummon casually replied as he sat down in the chair and began looking over the Digimon in the base's computers. "But you will help me get what I want Calumon, whether or not you cooperate." Millenniummon's fingers flew over the keyboard as images of various Digimon came up on the screens: Greymon, Garurumon, Kabuterimon, MetalTyrannomon, Megadramon and Andromon.

"Hmm…I almost have all of them," he muttered, checking the rest of the files. He soon realized he had almost all the Digimon he needed to carry out his plan, but was short two Digimon.

That hardly mattered, though. He had what…or rather, who…he needed to get these Digimon. And once he had them, he would destroy the Digidestined and the Tamers, and bring balance to the Digital World and the Human World of this dimension.

And why stop there? After taking over this dimension, he would go to the Tamers' dimension, Ryo's second home, and bring balance to it as well.

Yes…that's what he would do…

* * *

The atmosphere in Piximon's house was one that could be described as tense and sad. Once everybody had woken up, Rika, Renamon, the twins and Impmon told them about Millenniummon escaping with Ryo, Hopmon and Calumon once he had knocked them out, and how they had been unable to prevent their kidnapping.

Renamon then proceeded by telling them about being able to get in touch with Piximon and bringing them to his house for treatment. Once the story was done, the Digidestined and the Tamers could only have uneasy looks on their faces, as well as worry. Davis on the other hand had a look of anger on his face and was shaking slightly. Things had seemed like they were finally going right. They may have lost Stingmon, but he would be reborn and they finally brought Ken back to their side. But in less than a minute, Millenniummon took over Ken's body completely and kidnapped Ryo.

There were very few people that Davis truly hated, and he could say without a doubt that he truly hated Millenniummon for everything he had done to the bearer of Miracles and his friends. Not only did Veemon die fighting Millenniummon three years ago, but he was also responsible for Ken becoming the Digimon Emperor and Ryo ending up in another dimension for three years. And now, this happened today. Davis would not let this sit at all. As he sat in anger, Davis listened to the rest of the team talk amongst themselves.

"I don't understand. Why would Millenniummon take Ryo?" asked Yolei. "And why did he take Calumon as well?"

"I think the reason Millenniummon took Ryo is because, even though he's insane and evil, he's still Ryo's Digimon partner, and he must have felt compelled to take him," said Renamon.

"How exactly can Millenniummon be called a partner Digimon?" Upamon asked skeptically. "I highly doubt attacking us, kidnapping our friends, and taking over the world is normal partner Digimon behavior."

"Perhaps," said Renamon, "but it seems Millenniummon is doing what he was meant to do before Apocalymon created him, at least in his own twisted way, and that is to bring peace to both worlds."

"And as Ryo's partner, he must want Ryo to witness his rise to power. He even said he was going to kill us all and leave only Ryo alive," added Impmon.

"Poor Ryo," Yokomon sighed sadly. "There's no telling what Millenniummon's doing right now."

"Millenniummon may be an insane killer, but I highly doubt he'll do anything to harm Ryo," voiced Jeri's Tsunomon. "Like we just established, Millenniummon is still Ryo's first partner Digimon, and no partner Digimon would wish harm on their own human partners."

"Okay, so we know what Millenniummon wants with Ryo, but what exactly does he want with Calumon?" Izzy then asked. The Tamers looked at each other uneasily before Henry spoke up.

"I think we may have an idea why. You see, Calumon was never a normal Digimon at all."

"What do you mean, not normal?" asked Koromon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"Calumon used to provide Digimon the power to Digivolve in our world," Rika answered, getting surprised looks from everybody.

"Wait, you mean…Calumon used to Digivolve your partners?" Joe asked with a confused look.

"No, we Digivolved our partners with the cards," said Takato, "but Calumon used to provide the power, not just to our partners, but to every Digimon in our Digital World."

"You see, Calumon used to be the Catalyst, the energy that enabled Digimon to Digivolve," Henry told the Digidestined. "When the D-Reaper began to awaken in our world due to the growth of our Digital World and the constant Digivolutions of Digimon, Azulongmon made a wish to the Digignomes to turn the Catalyst into a Digimon and sent it to the Human World, in an attempt to slow down Digivolution."

"And that Digimon was Calumon?" asked Motimon, receiving a nod from Henry.

"But it wasn't enough to stop the D-Reaper from reawakening," said Rika. "Zhuqiaomon sent his servants, the Devas, to our world and kidnapped Calumon. We went to the Digital World to rescue him, and that's when we learned about his past, and the D-Reaper."

"There was a misunderstanding between us Tamers and Zhuqiaomon, but once Azulongmon settled everything, all the Sovereigns used the energy inside Calumon to Digivolve a load of Digimon to the Mega level so they could fight the D-Reaper."

"Calumon's power has been dormant ever since then," added Jeri, "but every once in a while, the red mark on his head lights up and a Digivolution happens, much like when Elecmon Digivolved to fight MetalGreymon."

"Oh, my god…" Mimi gasped in shock. "I just figured it out. Millenniummon said he saw everything when he was inside of Cyberdramon, just like with Leomon and Beelzemon, and if that's true…"

"…then he knows about Calumon and his power." Henry said, his face one of worry. The Digidestined suddenly realized how serious this situation became.

"And now that he has Calumon, any Digimon he captures he can Digivolve them to stronger levels!" gasped Nyaromon. "And if what you said is true, and Calumon can Digivolve Digimon to the Mega level, Millenniummon could be able to exploit that ability…"

"…and we could have all-out chaos on our hands," Tai said gravelly. All was quiet until Davis stood up and walked out of the room, ignoring the looks of confusion on everybody. Tai, Takato and Kari stood up and followed Davis out of the room with Koromon, Gigimon, Nyaromon and DemiVeemon right behind them.

* * *

"Davis, where are you going?" Kari called to her boyfriend once she caught up with him in the forest below Piximon's house.

"I'm going to find whatever base Millenniummon is hiding out in," the burgundy-haired boy said, a fire burning in his eyes. "He must be using the base Ken was using before, and that must be where he's holding Ryo and Calumon. I'm going to find it, I'm going to knock Millenniummon out of Ken, and I'm going to bring him back along with Ryo and Calumon."

"Are you crazy? You can't go there alone!" Takato said, catching up to them. "You don't even know where the base is!"

"No, but Sora, Jeri and Rika snuck in by taking a Locomon from Locomotown," said Davis. "I'm going to see if I can do that as well."

"That's impossible. For all we know, the security in the base was probably tightened up the last time the base was invaded," said DemiVeemon. "And Millenniummon could be anticipating an attack from us!"

"Then we'll hit him hard and fast," Davis said firmly, picking up DemiVeemon and continuing to walk. "I've about had it with that guy."

"Davis, slow down!" Kari pleaded, stepping in front of Davis. "Think this through! You're hurt, DemiVeemon doesn't have enough energy, and all of us are still hurting!"

"Then we can eat something first and rest before we go," said Davis, stepping aside from Kari. "This will end today!"

"Davis, don't be a fool!" Tai said, running up and stepping in front of his protégé.

"Get out of my way, Tai."

"No," Tai planted his feet firmly in the ground and looked down at Davis. "I know you're upset over this Davis, but you need to understand…"

(Play Omoi: The Biggest Dreamer)

"It's you that doesn't understand!" yelled Davis. "Millenniummon has been plaguing my life for three years ever since I first set foot in the Digital World. He killed Veemon, brought Ryo to another dimension, and turned Ken evil! And now he's back! He's possessing Ken and has Ryo captive. I won't stand for this anymore Tai!" Davis was breathing deeply after yelling at Tai, and the older boy could only stare in shock at what he had just been told. He had no idea Davis was this badly affected by Millenniummon. The mad Digimon had been messing with all of the Digidestined and the Tamers since this all began, but it seemed clear Davis may have had it just as bad as Ryo and Ken.

"Davis…calm down." Takato walked over and placed his hands on Davis's shoulders, turning him around so they were looking at each other in the eyes. "I get it. Millenniummon has made you angry, and you want to rescue Ryo and Ken, but you can't do it alone. Tai and Kari are right when they say our Digimon aren't at full strength yet, and that Millenniummon may be anticipating for us to come to his base. Ask yourself this: Do you think Ryo would want you to do something as reckless as this?"

Davis stopped and thought about what Takato said, as well as Tai and Kari. They were right. It would be foolish to try and sneak into the base, as Millenniummon could be expecting an assault. And if they attacked as they would now, they wouldn't survive a battle with their injuries and lack of energy. And Ryo wouldn't condone those sorts of actions.

"I'm sorry," he looked down to the ground. "I just…Millenniummon has screwed with us even before he possessed Ken today…and I couldn't take it anymore."

"I know Davis," Tai said, ruffling up Davis's hair. "I think we're all a little sick and tired of Millenniummon, but we can't fight back unless we're all at full strength and fully rested and healed, as well has having a good battle plan."

"The best we can do right now is go home and rest," Takato said, picking up Gigimon in his arms. "And tomorrow, we get back together and think about our next plan."

"Right…right," Davis nodded and followed Tai and Takato back to Piximon's house. As Kari walked behind the three goggled boys, she stopped suddenly when she felt a chill run through her body, and a feeling that somebody was watching her. She turned around, but didn't see anybody behind her.

"Kari, is something wrong?" Nyaromon asked, looking up at the brown-haired girl. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I…I think I heard something behind us…but it may have just been my imagination." Nyaromon said nothing and merely nodded. Kari had been acting strange over the last several days, and she could only suspect that her nightmares were a factor in her behavior…but what could she do if Kari was keeping quiet about the nightmares? Takato said to let her come naturally, but…that just wasn't Kari.

'Come on Kari…' the cat-head thought sadly. 'Don't shut us out. We all want to help you…'

* * *

He looked out the window of his palace, taking in the scenery. Everywhere around him, right before his glowing red eyes, was black. Everything was black. The sky, his palace, the ground he walked on…and the ocean surrounding his palace. It was a world of darkness…and it was his to command, all of it.

For years, ever since he was born, he had lived in the darkness. It was settling, it was calming, it was beautiful…

…and yet, it was not enough. He had command of the entire ocean, but he wanted to rule more. There was nothing else for him to conquer. The land that bordered the ocean could be conquered, but it would be too easy…and there would still be nothing but darkness.

But it would not last long. He was aware of two other worlds that existed alongside his world. He had been aware of them for a long time, and he wished to rule them. He wished to spread darkness across those worlds, but he felt darkness would not be enough. It would feel empty. And his servants, while strong in this world, would be weak in the other strange worlds. He needed stronger warriors if he wished to rule. He needed more than darkness.

He needed…light.

He knew who he was looking for. He was watching her. Very soon, she would come into his world…

And then she would be his bride, as well as the bride of his servants. She would birth their children, warriors of light and darkness. And once they were fully grown, he would conquer both worlds.

It would be glorious.

* * *

In a room where the only light was coming from a computer screen, Maki Himekawa frowned as she looked over all the data she had acquired. The blackout yesterday had prevented her from reporting what she saw at the Fuji TV Station to her superiors, so when the power came back on today, she had barely left the building she worked in ever since she woke up this morning. She pulled up the images of the girls she saw in Aqua City, and then an image she managed to get of a number of children with Digimon leaving the TV station an hour later. Some of the children and Digimon she had no idea who they were, but when she looked at the image of eight of the children, and then an image from four years ago of eight children going up in a rainbow-colored tunnel into the world that appeared in the sky, she realized they were exactly alike.

"They're the same ones…" she muttered, her fingers flying over the keyboard, bringing up the profiles of the eight children she recognized. On the files were their birth dates, families, current addresses, blood types, interests, nearly everything there was to know about them. The question now was, who were the other kids?

The door in front of her opened up and male's voice rang out.

"Still working in the darkness, Hime?" the voice said in a teasing manner. The sound of a light switch being turned on was heard, and the overhead lights turned on, flooding the room with light.

"Agh!" Maki grunted as she closed her eyes tightly before opening them again and blinking rapidly so they could adjust to the light. Once she could see again she glared up at the owner of the voice: A man the same age as her with messy black hair and a black suit and tie, a small smile on his face. This man was Daigo Nishijima, Maki's co-worker and ex-boyfriend.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"You know I don't like it when you call me Hime, Daigo," Maki said bitterly before returning to her work. Daigo merely chuckled before walking over to the desk, putting a mug down next to Maki. The brown-haired woman smelled the sweet scent coming from the mug and looked down to see a brown concoction in the mug.

"More cocoa as usual. You definitely know me…" she chuckled before drinking it.

"Well, we've known each other since we were kids," said Daigo. "Ever since…" the man trailed off when he looked down at the screen, his brow furrowed. "So those kids are the same ones from four years ago."

"Yes, they are," Maki replied. "And they're not alone. I counted thirteen more with them yesterday, all of them with Digimon."

"Thirteen?!" Daigo asked in shock. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes," Maki replied, showing the image to Daigo. "This is the image I got yesterday."

"Oh, my god…" Daigo said in stunned disbelief. "Before, it was only five…"

"Four," Maki said bitterly, making Daigo look at her sadly.

"That's not true Maki. You know that." Maki merely sighed before Daigo continued.

"Four years ago, eight more were called, and now…have things become so bad that they need to call in so many children?"

"Maybe so," Maki said with a sad sigh. "We need to keep an eye on them Daigo. I have a bad feeling about this. We have to watch out for the older children, and we also need to know about the new kids."

"So, what should we do?"

"It's what you can do," said Maki. "You're going to start your new job soon, right?"

"Yes," Daigo nodded, knowing what Maki was implying. "So what will you do?"

"I'll see what I can find out about these new kids," said Maki, who began zooming in on the children she didn't recognize in the image. "Don't let them know about us yet…you know what I mean."

"I know," Daigo nodded and left the room, reaching into his pocket and feeling a small object that he had carried with him ever since he was a child. He supposed it was only a matter of time, especially after what happened four years ago.

The only question was, does he still have what it takes?

* * *

Morning came upon Odaiba, and the Digidestined and Tamers had returned home for school. Thanks to Piximon and MarineAngemon, their wounds had vanished and they were feeling much better. Though the events of yesterday were still fresh in their minds, they tried to worry about them later once school was out and they went back to the Digital World.

Most of the students were heading to school just like it was any other day. Kari, however, moved much slower than everybody else, a blank expression on her face. She had another nightmare last night. Though it wasn't bad as the one from the night before where she was tied up and almost impaled by a black tentacle, it was still unnerving as she found herself on the black beach again, and the massive figure before her only saying one word repeatedly: " _Soon…soon…_ "

'What do these dreams mean?!' she thought to herself. If only she knew, then she could be able to tell Tai and Davis…but she didn't understand these nightmares…and she doubted Tai or Davis could either. She highly doubted any of her friends could help her. Then again, maybe the Tamers had an idea…

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a chill that she felt behind her and she walked faster, as if trying to escape whatever was behind her like it was trying to kidnap her. A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, and she yelled in surprise.

"No! Tai, Davis!"

TK jumped back in surprise from Kari's reaction and the terrified look in her eyes. What was up with that?

"Kari, it's just me," the bearer of Hope said, his brow furrowed in slight worry. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah!" Kari laughed awkwardly as she felt her cheeks redden. "Sorry about that. I didn't get much sleep last night…"

"Yeah, a lot us didn't," TK said, stifling a yawn.

"Morning, guys!" Davis called as he ran up to his two friends. "What are you doing standing around here? We don't want to be late!"

"Oh, right!" Kari snapped out of it and followed after Davis, TK right next to her.

"Davis looks like he's doing better than yesterday," said TK. "He's calmed down a little."

"For now, at least…" Kari said worriedly. "For all we know, he may go on the warpath when we get into the Digital World today…"

"Hey…it will be fine," TK said with a small smile.

'I wish I had your optimism TK…and Davis's courage…' Kari thought to herself, wishing that she didn't keep getting scared by these nightmares and that she could look past the worst of situations.

* * *

As the children ran into the building, the smaller of the Digimon were resting in the tree overlooking the entrance.

"Wow, Kari looks like she's full of energy today," said Veemon. "She's acting really jumpy!"

"Eh, she must have had some coffee this morning, right?" Impmon asked, looking over to Salamon. The tanned puppy could only watch Kari enter school with her ears drooped.

"No. I think she was just startled by TK," Salamon replied. "She was even startled this morning by Tai and Takato. I don't know what's been going on with her…"

"Has it been her nightmares?" asked Impmon.

"Nightmares?" echoed Patamon and Veemon. "When did this happen?" inquired the small dragon.

"It started happening shortly after we met the Tamers," answered Salamon. "She always wakes up screaming and in a cold sweat…the last few nights I couldn't wake her up on my own. I had to get Tai and Takato."

Patamon looked worried as his wings fluttered; in all the time he knew Kari, that definitely didn't sound like her. "What are they about?"

"You're wasting time asking questions, bat-pig," Impmon snorted. "She told me this yesterday, and when I asked her what they're about, she said Kari's keeping a lid on it. She ain't telling nobody."

"So, there's nothing we can do?" Veemon asked, worried for his partner's girlfriend.

"Unless she decides to tell us, then we can't," Salamon said, bitter at being unable to help Kari. "And Takato thinks he may have an idea, but he's keeping quiet for Kari's sake." Salamon looked back at the school with a sad expression, wondering what she could do to help Kari when Kari wouldn't even tell her what was bothering her.

"Well, if it's definitely bugging you, then I say when school gets out, we make Kari tell us what's bugging her," said Impmon. "It's bugging me as well. In the meantime, I'm going to raid the cafeteria storage rooms for fruit cups and milk!"

"I think I'll tag along as well," Salamon shrugged, following Impmon out of the tree, Patamon and Veemon tagging along. Maybe some food from the cafeteria would cheer her up, especially if they had fish sticks.

* * *

The rest of the school day went as normal as possible for the Digidestined and the Tamers, who felt like normal schoolkids as best they could despite the situations they were facing in the Digital World.

During the last period of the day, though, that came to an end. Takato sat in the back of the classroom next to Jeri. Though he was writing down what the teacher was saying and writing on the chalkboard into his papers, the brown-haired boy's gaze never left Kari, who was four rows ahead of him. He awoke in the middle of the night due to Kari having another nightmare, and he didn't stop worrying ever since then. If memory served him correctly, then this was the day it would happen, when Kari's nightmares would make sense and become clear.

"Takato…what's wrong?" Jeri whispered quietly, noticing the concerned look on Takato's face.

"It's Kari," he pointed his pencil to the bearer of Light. Jeri looked over and noticed how still Kari was sitting. She wasn't taking any notes at all, nor did she seem to be listening to the teacher as well. Kari just stared off in space while sitting still like a statue. It unnerved Jeri greatly.

"It's the…Dark Ocean, isn't it?" she asked with a slight shiver. Takato nodded grimly.

"She won't exactly say, but I strongly suspect those are what her nightmares are about."

"So…what do we do?" Takato was quiet as he thought about what to say.

"I don't know if we can prevent her from going this time or not, but maybe one of us should stay with her in case she falls like she did before."

"And then what?" inquired Jeri.

"…we tell the Digidestined about what we know," Takato replied. "It looks like there are some things that are identical to the TV show." Jeri nodded and looked over at Kari's still form again, concern in her brown eyes.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Akumu)

TK also shared concern over Kari as well. Sitting a row behind Kari, he could see his old friend sitting absolutely still. He could feel his stomach quaking at the sight; what was wrong with her?

Two rows in front of Kari, Davis was attempting to pay attention to what the teacher was saying as well, but he just couldn't. He had a bad feeling in his stomach ever since the day began. At first, he thought it was his worries about Ryo again, but he knew Ryo was tough and could take care of himself. No…this feeling was different somehow…as if something bad was happening right near him.

He looked around the classroom slowly, noticing the other students were paying attention as well, except for one. He noticed TK's attention was not on the board, but on someone else in the classroom. The two boys locked eyes briefly and TK mouthed one name to him.

Kari.

Turning his head to where his girlfriend was, Davis was startled slightly to see a blank stare on Kari's face, as if she wasn't interested at all in the lesson right now. It was a look he would usually have, but seeing it on Kari was unnatural, it was just not like Kari at all.

Kari attempted to pay attention to what the teacher was saying, but no matter how hard she tried, her concentration slipped away almost instantly. The sound of the teacher's voice and the chalk on the chalkboard were fading away, gradually being replaced with the sound of ocean waves.

What she saw next made her blood freeze; a white mist began enveloping the classroom until she could only see white. The smell of dead fish penetrated her nose, and her feet felt cold and wet. Looking down, she gasped when she saw cold, black water going up to her ankles. Kari looked up again, and she could only widen her eyes in terror at what she saw: The dark ocean from her nightmares.

She tried to get up from her seat and call for help, but to her horror she couldn't move at all. She couldn't even blink; the only movement coming from her body was the rapid beating of her heart.

'D…Davis?' she thought in worry. 'Gatomon? TK? Impmon? Takato?! TAI?!'

Both Davis and TK could feel the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end, as well as goosebumps appear on their skin, when they saw Kari's body beginning to lose color and beginning to fade, fizzling out like a defective video. It was like she was disappearing.

"Kari!" both the bearers of Hope and Miracles yelled out, standing up from their desks.

Every eye in the classroom fell on the two boys standing up before looking over to the girl whose name they yelled out. Kari gasped from the yell and found herself back in the classroom. She looked over to TK and Davis briefly before feeling light-headed. The bearer of Light groaned and slipped off of her seat. Fortunately, Rika and Jeri managed to catch her before she fell.

"Are you all right, Kari?" the teacher asked, frowning at the sight of Kari's pale face.

"I'm…not sure…"

"Perhaps you should go to the nurse's office."

"Yes…I will…" Kari stood back up shakily and moved away from Jeri and Rika, walking out slowly like a zombie. TK and Davis were both equally paralyzed at what they just saw. Takato's brow furrowed at the sight, Henry had a thoughtful look as if he was remembering something, and Kazu and Kenta leaned close to each other to whisper.

"Kenta, you don't think…"

"I think so…"

"All right class, let's return to our lesson," the teacher said in an attempt to get order back in the class.

"Um, excuse me…sir…" Jeri said softly. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to go to the nurse's office as well…just in case Kari falls again on her way there…"

"Certainly," the teacher said with a nod. "Hurry back, Jeri."

"Thank you," Jeri said with a bow before walking out the classroom.

Davis could only watch, stunned, at what he just saw. If he was unable to focus before on the lesson, he certainly wouldn't now after seeing Kari like this. Tai had told him about some nightmare she had been having, and Kari had even told him herself though she didn't go into much detail. At first, he thought they were normal nightmares, but now…perhaps they were like the nightmares he had before last month.

The burgundy-haired boy could only curse his own stupidity for not recognizing the signs so soon…but he would be damned if he continued ignoring his girlfriend's current plight. He was going to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

* * *

Keeping herself steady by leaning up against the wall, Kari managed to make it to the first floor, where the nurse's office was located. It was bad enough that the vile sea had been haunting her dreams for the last week, but now it was appearing in her mind, filling her with terror. Something was happening to her, and she didn't know what it was, or what to do about it.

She wished Tai or Davis were here…but she reminded herself that even they would have no idea about her recent nightmares if she told them, and it hurt her to not tell them. Of all her friends, Tai and Davis had always managed to protect her. She always knew everything would be okay whenever one or both of them were around. But now…she didn't know if it was possible.

As she walked through the hallway, it felt oddly dark. The sun had been shining in her classroom, but out in the hall, there was no light coming from the windows and the lights on the hallway ceiling seemed to be dimmed, which was odd.

Suddenly, the sound of water dripping came from behind her, and she could feel her bones lock. The air around her seemed damp, and the smell around her was awful. The dripping sound continued, but it was suddenly drowned out when she heard rasping, heavy breathing. Kari began finding it hard to breathe herself.

"Kari…?"

The brown-haired girl turned slowly upon hearing the soft voice. She felt relieved at first when she saw Jeri standing in front of her, but when she looked behind Jeri, she felt her soul leave her body briefly at what she saw. Crouching behind the staircase was a black, hazy figure. It stared at Kari with reptilian, blood-red eyes, its limbs dripping with water.

"Kari, what's wrong?" Jeri asked, worried at the terrified look on Kari's face. Kari opened her mouth in a silent scream, turned with all her strength, and bolted out of the school. Jeri was confused until she suddenly felt a presence behind her. Narrowing her eyes, the Tamer whirled around to see a black figure slowly retreating.

"Stop right there!" She bolted for the staircase, but when she reached it, she only saw a puddle of black water. "Darn…" Jeri turned around and headed out the school as well to find Kari.

* * *

The final class concluded, Davis immediately ran out of the classroom and headed for the nurse's office with TK on his heels.

"Excuse me!" Davis called to the nurse once he reached the office. "Is Kari all right?"

"Kari?" the nurse asked, looking up from her magazine. "Kari who?"

"Kari Kamiya!" Davis said, slightly irritated. "She came in to rest, right?"

"I'm sorry, but nobody's been in here today," answered the woman.

"At all?" TK looked over to where the bed was and noticed it was empty. It didn't even look like it was slept in.

"Sorry, kids," she said. Davis and TK walked out, their foreheads wrinkled.

"Damn…I need to know what's going on with her, what with the nightmares and all…"

"Nightmares?" TK looked at him with slight concern. "What nightmares?"

"I don't really know," Davis shook his head sadly. "Tai told me she's keeping quiet about them, and Takato suspects that they may be something she doesn't understand herself."

"That doesn't make sense," TK said, a thought coming to him. "Hey…speaking of Takato, do you think the Tamers might tell us something about this?"

"If something like this happened in their TV show?" Davis asked, getting the gist of what TK was implying. "Yeah, I think we should ask them. We should find Kari first…"

"I can find her for you," TK offered, turning away from Davis. "You find the Tamers!"

"TK, I don't think…" Davis started to say, but trailed off as TK ran off. The burgundy-haired boy sighed, wondering how TK would be able to handle the situation involving Kari. While TK was close friends with Kari, he hadn't been around her much in four years. There was so much about Kari that Davis was sure TK didn't understand yet.

Sighing to himself, Davis went off into the opposite direction TK ran into, intent on finding one of the Tamers and seeing what they knew about this.

'Just what I need now!' he thought to himself as he ran.

* * *

Panic was beginning to set into TK as he ran throughout the school. After splitting from Davis, he began searching for every place that Kari could possibly be: the library, the lunch room, the gym, and he even snuck a peek in the girls' bathroom. Sadly, Kari was nowhere at those locations. TK ran through the skyway connecting the middle school to the high school, concern for Kari in his mind. She could be in trouble! She could be…

…Right outside, sitting with Jeri on a bench. He had caught a glimpse of brown hair and pink clothing as he ran through the skyway, and he looked down to see Kari below him. Sighing in relief, TK headed down to see her.

* * *

"…you don't have to talk to me if you want to Kari. If you want, I can sit here with you."

"…I don't mind Jeri," Kari whispered quietly as she sat on the bench and was lost in her thoughts. The warm, sunny spring day seemed chilly after what she just went through in the school. She barely acknowledged Jeri, and she almost didn't hear or see TK come up to her, as she was looking down at her shoes.

"Kari, there you are!" the child of Hope breathed out. "Davis and I were worried about you. Are you all right?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"I…I…" Kari said quietly as she hugged herself. "I saw…the ocean…in class…"

"What do you mean?" TK asked, scratching his head in confusion. The school did provide a view of a small bay and beach from across the street, but there was no way Kari could have seen in from the position the classroom was in. Maybe she was talking about her nightmares.

"I feel like…someone's calling me…" Kari shivered again, and Jeri moved closer, wrapping an arm around Kari's shoulders. "like I'm being summoned…elsewhere…"

"By whom?" TK asked nervously. The way Kari was talking, it sounded eerie, almost like it didn't have anything to do with the Digital World. "Is it Millenniummon?"

"No…I don't think so…" said Kari. "I've been seeing it before Millenniummon returned. The next time they call…I don't think I'll be able to resist it. I don't think I'll be able to stay here…I might go away…"

"Don't think like that Kari!" Jeri scolded softly, pulling the bearer of Light closer to her. She couldn't afford to see anyone as helpless and miserable, not since her time in the D-Reaper.

TK could only frown and look down at Kari, wondering what to make of it. They had met a number of powerful Digimon over the years, but never one that could pull them out of their own world just like that; Millenniummon was powerful, but there was no telling how powerful he was right now in Ken's body, or if he had the power to do something like that to Kari. The bearer of Hope didn't know what to say, but he tried to say something reassuring.

"Well…you don't want to go away, do you? Whatever the matter is, you can resist it. You're not going to disappear on us."

"I tried TK, but I just can't anymore," Kari whimpered. "I've tried my best to become stronger, but I just can't. I'm not as strong as Tai or Davis. They've always been there for me before, protected me…I wish they were here now, but I'm not sure if they would understand my dreams…"

Upon hearing Kari's words, TK bristled a little and felt something small snap inside of him. She always talked about Tai and Davis like nobody else could measure up to them. "Tai and Davis?! Honestly Kari, it's always Tai this and Davis that from you! You're always going on about how you need them! That's your problem Kari! You're constantly relying on them when you can't keep doing that!"

Kari could only look up at TK, her eyes listless and lost, even hurt. The blond-haired boy took a step back when he realized that he went too far.

"That was over the line, TK!" Jeri snapped. "She's scared, and she needs support!"

"I know, but…she can't keep relying on Tai and Davis forever…"

"Easy for you to say," Kari snapped, the lack of sleep from the past few nights, as well as TK's comments, beginning to get on her bad side. "You haven't lived with Matt for eight years."

"Kari…I…" TK gasped in shock, slowly backing away before walking back into the building. Kari moaned and put her face in her hands, and she felt Jeri rub her back for comfort.

"Kari, I think you crossed the line as well…"

"I know," Kari sighed sadly. "He just doesn't understand Jeri. Tai and Davis…and I guess, maybe Sora…they've always been the only ones to understand me…my problems…but this time…what can they do?"

(Play Digimon: Sayonara dake ga Shitetta)

"You're right, he doesn't understand," Jeri took Kari's hands in her own and managed to get the bearer of Light to look at her in the eyes. "But you don't understand either. It's all right to rely on your brother, and your boyfriend, but they're not the only ones that you can go to. You may not know it yet Kari, but the others are there for you as well. TK, Yolei, Rika, Takato, myself, and all of us. You are strong Kari, but that's because you have all of us backing you up as well."

"Then why did TK say something like that?"

"Well, like you said, he just doesn't understand, so he probably didn't know how to say it the right way," Jeri shrugged. "The point is Kari, don't shut any of us out, and don't pretend like everything is all right when it isn't. We want to help you…all of us."

"But…I don't want to burden anyone…"

"I know," Jeri sighed, clasping both her hands around Kari's right hand. "I know how that feels, but you can't keep everything bottled up for long Kari. And you won't be seen as a burden. Don't let whatever's calling you get to you Kari. It's not what you want, and it's not your choice to make. They're just making the choice for you. The only one that can decide your fate is yourself."

'Myself…' Kari thought quietly before feeling Jeri wrap her arms in a hug.

"You're not alone Kari," the Tamer said softly before turning around and walking away.

* * *

The bearer of Light sighed as she gathered up her school things and slung her backpack over her shoulders. After everything that had happened so far today, Kari wasn't in the mood to go to the Digital World today; she would only drag them down if she fell asleep.

As she walked out of the school gate, she noticed the bay in front of her across the street. A salty breeze caught her hair, and it felt cold despite the warm weather. She stared across the street to the stairs leading down to the sand, and she felt something strange.

Perhaps the dreams were more than just dreams, and probably premonitions. The body of water in front of her wasn't the one she had been seeing in her dreams, but it was the only one she could get to right now. Wondering if there was something for her to do or find down there, she had to check it out by herself.

'I know Jeri said I'm not alone…but I have to do this myself…It's me they want and nobody else!'

* * *

At that moment, Jeri had stepped around the corner with Elecmon when she saw Kari crossing the street. Her mind flashing back to that particular episode, Jeri narrowed her eyes determinedly.

"Elecmon, come on!"

"What is it?" Elecmon asked, running forward with Jeri.

"Something's about to go down with Kari, and I don't want her to face it alone!" As Jeri ran forward with Elecmon, Salamon, Veemon and Impmon, who had been napping in the tree above, woke up when they heard footsteps underneath them.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"Kari!" Salamon gasped, seeing her partner standing across the street. The white cat gasped again when she noticed Kari's body becoming transparent and fading in and out like a bad television picture.

"What the hell?!" Impmon yelled out as he watched Jeri and Elecmon run over to Kari.

"Kari, don't let them get to you! Fight it!" Jeri yelled out, placing her hand on Kari's shoulder to turn her around. The honey-eyed girl gasped as she noticed her own body becoming transparent as well.

"Jeri!" Elecmon gasped and touched Jeri as well. Like his partner and Kari, Elecmon's body began fizzling out as well.

"What's happening to them?!" Veemon asked in shock.

"I don't know, but we're not going to get answers by sitting here!" said Impmon, jumping out of the tree. "Come on!" Salamon and Veemon nodded and jumped out of the tree. The three Digimon made for the crosswalk, but a long truck sped across the street, blocking their path.

"You jerk!" Impmon cursed to the truck driver, but his anger turned into shock when he looked across the street again. Where Kari was moments before with Jeri and Elecmon was Kari's backpack, which floated in midair for a moment before falling to the ground with a thud.

"What…what just happened?!" Veemon yelled as Salamon and Impmon ran across the street, the latter picking up Kari's backpack.

"We need to get the others, now!" said Salamon. Impmon and Veemon nodded and raced off with Salamon to find help.

* * *

TK sighed sadly as he walked into the computer lab, hoping that Kari wasn't there. The last thing he needed right now was an awkward atmosphere between himself and Kari, after what they said to each other moments before. To his relief, it was only Yolei, Cody and Davis. Davis was leaning against the wall while Yolei sat in front of a computer with Cody by her side.

"So what exactly are you doing anyway with the D-Terminals, Yolei?"

"Well, I thought I could try to expand their protocol," Yolei answered Davis.

"And that means what, exactly?" asked Cody.

"Well, I thought it would be beneficial if we could communicate not just by email, but also with real-time audio communicators. That way, we could use them like cell phones."

"That could be handy," said Davis. "If we can call everybody that fast, then Millenniummon will find it harder to get the drop on us!"

"Maybe. Unfortunately, I haven't made much progress," Yolei said with a grimace. "If I get Henry and Izzy in here, then maybe we can get something done."

"Where are the others, anyway?" asked TK, making everybody realize he was here.

"They're getting their Digimon from home and then they'll come here," said Davis. He really needed to talk with Takato or one of the other Tamers. "Were you able to find Kari?"

"Yeah, I found her," TK nodded with a frown. "She's with Jeri."

Patamon noticed TK's glum look and flew over to him, landing softly on his head. "TK, what's wrong? You don't look so good."

"Yeah, did something happen when you found Kari?" asked Davis. TK hesitated, wondering how to tell Davis this.

"Well, you see…"

"DAVIS! TK! ANYBODY!" The Digidestined turned at the loud yell to see Impmon running into the computer lab with Salamon, Veemon hanging on the latter's shoulders. Both Digimon breathed heavily as if they had just outrun a cheetah.

"We…we've got trouble!" Salamon panted, pointing to the pink bag in Impmon's hands. Davis gasped when he recognized it.

"That's Kari's backpack!" TK took the object from Impmon and opened it up, noticing Kari's D-3 sat in the bottom of it. A sudden chill began entering his body as he thought about what Kari said earlier.

"Where did you find it? What happened to Kari?"

"She…she's disappeared…" Salamon breathed, eliciting gasps from everybody.

"She's not the only one," said Impmon. "Jeri…Elecmon…they're gone too."

* * *

Her eyes closed, Kari could hear the ocean waves crashing and the wind blowing around. The wind felt chilly as it blew around her body. Opening her eyes, she gasped when she noticed she was no longer on the sidewalk leading to the small bay in Odaiba. She was now on a long and lonely coastline, and everything around her was in shades of black, white and gray. On a small peninsula in the distance, a weathered lighthouse stood, shining a beam of light that was entirely black.

Was she dreaming again? Determined to find out, she pulled out her camera and pointed it at the lighthouse, pressing a button to take the picture. She shuddered as the image appeared directly on her screen; she was awake…and she was in her nightmare.

* * *

Jeri gasped in shock as she opened up her eyes and looked around with Elecmon. She was in a forest that was completely dark. At first, she thought it was nightfall, but it was too early…and the trees were equally dark and gray. She had ended up coming here with Kari, but where was she? Jeri had to find her and fast. She had no Gatomon with her.

"Jeri…what is this place?" Elecmon asked, his sword drawn out in case anything attacked them from the shadows. "Everything about this place feels strange…like it's not the Digital World."

"That's because it's not the Digital World at all," said Jeri. "We need to find Kari." Elecmon nodded and followed after Jeri. Whatever this place was, he didn't like it. It reeked of evil, evil that was just as horrible as Devimon and the Dark Masters.

* * *

"What do you mean, Kari and Jeri disappeared?!" Tai yelled out once everybody had gathered up at the small warehouse that Matt and his band often used for practice. The Digidestined and the Tamers had decided to make this their new meeting place as it was big enough to hold everbody. "Tell me everything."

"There's not much to say," said Impmon. "One minute she looked okay, then the next minute she was fizzling like an old TV. And when Jeri and Elecmon touched her, they ended up fading away as well!"

"We tried to get to them, but a truck got in our way and we were too late," said Salamon. "All that was left was Kari's backpack, and her D-3 inside it."

"How was that possible?!" Izzy asked in confusion.

"I don't know," said Gatomon. "In all my years, I've never seen anything like that before!"

"Damn it…he's gone too far now!" Davis growled angrily. "We need to get to the Digital World now!"

"What?" Yolei asked skeptically. "Davis, what makes you think they're in the Digital World?"

"Well, it's obvious that Kari and Jeri were pulled somewhere else by a great power," Davis explained. "And the only place with that kind of power is the Digital World…and I'm betting Millenniumon had his dirty hands all over it! First Ken, then Ryo, and now Kari and Jeri…I've just about had it with this bastard!"

"You're not the only one," Tai said with a sharp glare. "When I get my hands on him…!"

"It wasn't Millenniummon," said Rika, her face slightly twisted in pain. "As much as I'd love to pound Millenniummon into the dirt, he wasn't behind Kari and Jeri's disappearances."

"Then who was it?!" Davis asked impatiently.

"Well..." Takato said hesitantly. The brown-haired boy seemed worried about Jeri's disappearance, but he was trying his best to hold it in and not lose it. He looked around to the other Tamers. "Guys, I think it's time we told them the full story."

"Agreed," said Henry. "Giving what we just heard…"

"What full story?" asked Agumon.

"Did this happen in the TV show?" asked Matt.

"Yes, and it has to do with Kari's recent nightmares," said Takato, making Tai, TK and Davis look up.

"Her nightmares?" asked Tai.

"What do they have to do with this?" Davis asked concerned.

"The ocean…" TK muttered, getting eyes on him. "When I saw her with Jeri, she said something about the ocean."

"What do you mean, the ocean?" asked Davis. "Did they end up in the Digital World through the ocean?"

"They're not in the Digital World," said Kazu. "They're in a place that is the worst place for someone like Kari to be in."

"They're in the Dark World," said Takato, getting looks of confusion from most of the Digidestined.

"What is the Dark World?" asked Mimi.

"It's a very dark place," said Henry. "I think we should tell you guys what we know about the Dark World. In fact, now that this has happened, I think the Control Spires are the same as well, and Ken's D-3…"

"The Control Spires and Ken's D-3? What about them?" asked Izzy.

"If you all sit down, then we'll tell you everything that we can," said Terriermon. The Digidestined nodded and sat down to let the Tamers tell them what they knew about this Dark World.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Samayoi no Mori)

"Where…am I…?" Kari asked as she wandered in a daze. "Where's…Jeri…?" She remembered the brown-haired girl had managed to grab her shoulder before she ended up here, but where was her friend? She was lost in her thoughts that she nearly tripped and fell when her foot caught on a piece of gray wood in the sand. Blinking out of her daze, Kari noticed a small seaside village in front of her, the fence surrounding it being broken.

Walking into the village, Kari noticed that it was deserted: The roofs of most of the houses had caved in, the windows were shattered, and the foul stench was floating in the air here as well. And just like the beach and everything in this world, the village was gray. Another picture was taken and the image appeared on the screen. Whether she wanted to like it or not, she could no longer deny that she was here…but where was 'here'? At first, she thought she was somehow in the Digital World, but everything about this place felt different from the Digital World. The atmosphere around it seemed like one of malice, regret and despair. The Digital World was one of happiness and joy.

She looked up at a sign near one of the buildings. There was writing on it, but she couldn't make it out. It was probably written in Digicode, the language of the Digital World.

'But this isn't the Digital World…' she thought to herself as she wandered out of the village and found herself on sand. She was now on the beach, the one in her nightmares…and it felt just as foreboding in real life as it did in her dreams.

The wind continued blowing, and every time it passed through Kari, it felt colder than it did the last time. The bearer of Light shivered violently as she felt her fingers beginning to go numb. She needed to find shelter, but where could she go? The houses in the village seemed uninhabitable, and the jagged cliffs that stood before her looked too dangerous to climb up. She looked around again and noticed a dark spot in the cliff face nearby. It was a cave. That would work. She walked quickly to the cave. As she approached it, she could see a faint orange glow, and she could have sworn she heard faint noises that sounded like whispering; could it be Jeri and Elecmon? Breathing deeply, Kari walked into the cave.

She suddenly realized it wasn't a cave, but a tunnel. A row of dull light bulbs ran down the ceiling, offering some light and warmth for her. As she walked further in, she could hear the whispering become much clearer. "J...Jeri…?" she called out softly, but the whispering voices didn't sound like Jeri or Elecmon at all. They sounded deeper, raspy…terrifying.

The whispering suddenly stopped and became pained groans. Kari gasped as she saw a number of dark shapes come near her, staring at her with blood-red eyes.

" _Heellpp usss…"_ one of the figures said in a wispy voice. Kari could only shiver again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. "Who…who are you?!" she asked in fear, unable to move at all.

* * *

"So, what is this Dark World?" asked Izzy, his computer open and ready to take notes.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"The Dark World is basically an anti-Digital World," said Henry. "As you may know, the Digital World is made out of data, but it's also made up of the positive emotions of humankind. But at the same time, the negative emotions and energy also formed a world of its own. It has the power to bring dark thoughts to life, as well as to magnify and corrupt them."

"That sounds scary," Mimi said with a shiver.

"The main part of the Dark World that was seen in the TV show was the massive body of water that surrounds it," said Rika. "It's known as the Dark Ocean, and it's ruled by a Digimon."

"What kind of Digimon are we talking about, exactly?" asked Cody.

"He's an Ultimate level Digimon, but if he's powerful enough to be the ruler of this ocean, then he may be in the same league as MagnaAngemon and Baalmon," said Takato. "An Ultimate level that can hold his own against Mega level Digimon. His name…Dagomon." The goggled boy pulled out a Digimon card from his pocket and showed it to the Digidestined. The reactions were mixed when they saw the Digimon on the card, which was a blue octopus-like Digimon with numerous tentacles bundled up to look like arms and legs, a gaping maw that reminded them of Ogremon, and red leather-like wings sprouting from his back.

Izzy's eyes widened, Yolei, Sora and Mimi reacted with disgust, and the rest of the team looked slightly worried about this.

"That's Dagomon?" asked Armadillomon.

"Yes," Takato nodded. "He's basically the Digimon version of Cthulhu."

"You mean Cthulhu from the Lovecraftian stories?" asked Izzy, getting a nod from Henry.

"Love-what now?" asked Agumon.

"HP Lovecraft," answered Izzy. "He was an American writer who wrote horror stories in pulp magazines during the 1920s. He died in 1937 and his work became famous after he died."

"So you're saying Kari and Jeri have ended up in a place that's ruled by Cthulhu?!" Davis yelled out. "What's the deal here? Why does Dagomon want Kari?!"

"Well…that's the sick and twisted part," said Kenta. "Chances are the reasons here are the same in the TV show. Dagomon and his servants, the Deep Ones, wanted Kari to mate with them and carry their offspring." A silence fell over the entire room until Tai and Davis both exploded at the same time.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, CARRY OFFSPRING?!"

"Exactly what he just said," said Rika.

"That's…that's just sick!" said Davis, his face scrunched up in disgust and horror. "There's no way Kari will ever do something like that, which means…"

"…which means they may rape her!" Tai finished, panic setting in on the Digidestined.

"What about Jeri? Do they have any plans for her?" asked Palmon.

"I don't think so," said Takato. "Impmon said that Jeri was trying to get Kari's attention when they vanished, so chances are it was an accident that they ended up there."

"We have to find a way to get to the Dark Ocean, and fast!" said Davis. "I'm not going to let this Dagomon have his way with Kari!"

"But we don't even know how to get to the Dark Ocean," said Izzy, "and what's more, you also said that this Dark Ocean has something to do with the Control Spires and Ken's D-3. What is it, exactly?"

"We'll tell you, but we'll have to tell you later," said Henry. "Right now, rescuing Kari and Jeri is more important."

"Okay, but how exactly do we reach this Dark World?" asked Joe. "It sounds like it's completely different from the Digital World, so chances are getting in will be different than just raising up a D-3 and saying, 'Digital Gate, Open!'"

"There may be a way," said Kazu. "First, we have to go to where they vanished. Impmon, Gatomon, can you take us there?"

"This way!" said Impmon. "Hurry!" As the group followed Impmon and Salamon to the bay, TK was trailing behind, his mind drifting back to what was said between him and Kari on the bench.

"Why did I say that…?" he asked aloud, making Matt look over to him.

"TK, what's wrong?" Matt asked his brother.

"Before Kari vanished, some…things were said between us," TK answered. "She was going on about how Tai and Davis protected her a lot and how she couldn't be strong like them…and I just snapped and told her to stop depending on them." The blond-haired boy felt guilty. "I guess she really did need them."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Straight from the Heart ~Sora no Theme~)

"You got it all wrong TK," Sora said, walking up to the two brothers. "Kari's always had a knack of keeping things to herself whenever something's bugging her. She doesn't want to bother anyone else with her problems…even if it kills her. And even then, she blames herself and nobody else." Her mind flashed back to when she nearly died of pneumonia at age five, and didn't blame Tai for it at all. "Tai and Davis are two of the few people who truly understand her. She's not weak at all. She's strong when she has others."

"That's all the more reason we need to help her," Renamon voiced from nearby. "This is something she cannot handle on her own."

"What about Jeri?" asked Biyomon.

"If I know Jeri, she's capable of taking care of herself as well as Kari until we reach them," replied the kitsune. "But if Dagomon is as powerful as they say he is, then we must hurry."

"Besides, I'm sure you want to protect Kari as well," said Matt.

"I do. She's my best friend…" said TK. "But she has to learn to take care of herself as well. There may come a time when none of us will be able to protect her."

"I know," said Sora, "but you need to understand that Kari doesn't think like you do. She's stronger when all of us are with her. She needs us to draw strength from, especially those who understand her. It's not that she can't take care of herself, but she draws more strength from us than from herself."

" _You haven't lived with Matt for eight years…_ " Kari's words came floating back to TK, and he thought for a moment. What if their family never did split up and Matt and TK still lived with each other? Would he be like Kari is now, drawing strength from his brother and friends instead of himself to be a stronger person? He couldn't help but shake his head at the thought. Perhaps there was more to Kari than he knew from four years ago. Then he thought about when he and the other Digidestined learned the truth of their Crests when they fought Apocalymon, that they drew strength from everybody around them. Kari had said that the light in her was everybody's light, and TK even said so himself that everybody's hopes, combined with his own hope, gave him strength. Maybe they were right. Maybe Kari was stronger when she had others with her. Maybe everybody was stronger when they had each other's backs and together.

'Man, this is all confusing…' TK thought with a shake of his head as he continued following Impmon and Salamon.

* * *

Jeri sighed sadly as she walked through the forest with Elecmon, eventually coming across an abandoned village, all of the huts looking wrecked. They had been walking for ten minutes and had found no sign of Kari so far. Jeri knew Kari was here as well, and she also knew this village was seen on TV. Perhaps it could lead them to Kari so they could help her get out of here.

"Whatever happened here, it must not have been a pretty sight," Elecmon muttered, looking around the village. "This dark feeling I'm having is getting worse Jeri…I've never felt anything like this before…"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kizuato)

"I have," said Jeri. "When I was in the D-Reaper, I could feel the darkness and sadness emanating from it. And what I'm feeling from this world is similar to it…sadness, anger, malice…" Elecmon bristled, worried over his Tamer's words. "For all we know, Kari may be feeling this as well. That's why we need to find her fast. I don't want to see her be so afraid of this place…"

Elecmon chuckled softly at his partner's words. "You have definitely grown up Jeri. You have become stronger over the last two years."

"That's because I've had everybody by my side, giving me the strength to do so," said Jeri. "Even when they're not here, I can still feel their strength become mine."

"Sounds very poetic," Elecmon said with a smile. "Come. Let us continue our search." The two continued onwards through the village, passing a sign that read, in Digicode, Innsmouth.

'Hmm…Innsmouth…' Jeri thought with a frown, having read this information online back home. 'We really have fallen into a Lovecraft story…'

* * *

Impmon and Salamon led everybody to the beach where they saw Kari, Jeri and Elecmon vanish, showing them where they saw it happen. The group went down to the beach and looked around.

"So if this is where Kari and Jeri vanished…is this how we get to the Dark World?" asked Joe.

"Hard to say," said Kazu. "Getting there can be really tricky…"

"Well, is there any way that's not tricky?!" Tai yelled impatiently.

"There is, but it can't work right now," said Takato, getting everybody to look at him.

"What do you mean, Takato?" asked Sora.

"It has to do with Ken's D-3," said Kenta, getting everybody to look at him. "You see, after Sam died, Ken ended up in the Dark World because of the sadness he was feeling, and when he stuck his Digivice into the ocean, it transformed into his D-3."

"Ken's been there before?!" Davis yelled out. "And you're saying that's how his D-3 transformed?"

"Yeah," said Kazu. "And apparently, since it transformed in the Dark World, Ken's D-3 has the power to open up portals to the Dark World." Kazu's words left a stunned silence for a moment before Davis got up in Kazu's face.

"You knew about this for a while and you never bothered to tell us?!"

"Well, what good would it have done?" asked Kazu. "It can only work if Ken's holding it, and because Millenniummon's using his body right now, it's impossible!"

"Oh, that's just great!" Tai said in a sarcastic manner, throwing his hands in the air. "Now what?!" Nobody said anything for a moment before Suzie spoke up.

"Well…there may be another way. Another way to get into the Dark World is with a very powerful dark-type Digimon. They have the ability to open up portals to the Dark World as well."

"Like that's going to help," said Matt. "Every dark-type Digimon we've ever met has wanted to kill us. Tell me what dark-type Digimon will be able to cooperate with us to open a portal to the Dark World?!"

"Well…" Terriermon started, his eyes rolling over to Impmon. The small demon looked confused as everybody stared at him, Ai and Mako.

"Um…Impmon, why are they staring at us?" asked Ai.

"I don't think it's us three in general, Ai," Mako replied, looking down at Impmon as well. Impmon looked around in confusion, wondering what was going on.

"Okay, why are you all staring at me?!"

(Play Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"Because you may be our only chance to get into the Dark World Impmon," said Takato. "You said you can Digivolve to Beelzemon again, a Demon Lord Digimon. That's one of the most powerful dark-type Digimon…"

"…which means Impmon can get us into the Dark World!" Izzy gasped, realizing what Takato was saying.

"Woah, wait a minute!" said Impmon. "I don't know if I can do something like that! Plus, I don't even know how to become Beelzemon again! Do I just borrow energy from Ai and Mako like the Digidestined do with their Digimon? Do they use some sort of card? Or do I Biomerge with them? Can there even be a Biomerge when you have two Tamers?!"

"You're thinking about this too hard Impmon," said Renamon.

"Am I, fox-face?!" Impmon asked rhetorically. "How do I reach the Mega level again?"

"You just have to believe in it, all three of you," Kenta said to Impmon, Ai and Mako. "I may not be able to Biomerge with Betamon, but he can still become MarineAngemon."

"Yeah!" said Betamon, a big smile on his face. "When we both have the desire to help our friends at our full power, I'm able to feel Kenta's heart and Digivolve to my Mega level! That's all you have to do as well!"

"I think I liked you better when you didn't talk," Impmon flatly said before getting serious again. "Is that possible?"

"Impmon, we're the Digidestined," said Veemon. "We make things possible! You want to help Kari and Jeri, don't you?"

"Of course, I do!" said Impmon. "Kari's the partner of my best friend, and she helped bring me back to life! She's one of kindest people to me, and I would do anything to help her and Salamon! And Jeri…" his face dropped. "After all the crap she went through because of me…I may not have been able to save her from the D-Reaper, but I'll do everything it takes to bring her out of the Dark World!"

"So do we!" said Ai. "Kari's our friend as well. Her Crest and our D-Ark brought Impmon back to us, and we owe it to her to get her out of there!"

"And Jeri as well!" added Mako. "She's been like a sister to us for two years. She's cared greatly for us and we care for her as well! We want to help them, and nothing will stop us!" The D-Ark in Mako's hand suddenly beeped loudly and a light flashed brightly, engulfing Impmon, who began growing and changing shape. When the light faded, Beelzemon stood before everybody.

"All right, he did it!" Guilmon cheered for the Digivolution. The Digidestined stared at Beelzemon in wide-eyed disbelief. The demon lord Digimon looked more like a biker, if said biker was eight feet tall, had a tail, and three red eyes. Beelzemon closed his two main eyes and crouched down, placing his hand on the sand.

"Yes…now that I'm in this form again, I can feel some dark force from afar. It's faint, but there's a stronger feeling near here. Let's go!" Beelzemon stood up and began running towards a hill at the right of the bay. The Digidestined and Tamers followed close by, unaware that they were being watched by a figure in the shadows.

* * *

"Please…help us…" Kari stared as the creatures crawled into the faint light. Their skin was the same shade of grey as everything in this world, but Kari could make them out as some sort of aquatic-type Digimon with fins on their hands, heads and feet. She suddenly recognized them as Divermon, Ultimate level Digimon. However, unlike most Divermon, they lacked the scuba gear that enabled them to breathe underwater, as well as the harpoons that enabled them to perform their special attack, Striking Fish.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Holy Light ~Hikari no Theme~)

"You're…Digimon…" she breathed out as the Divermon continued groaning in agony.

"Is that…what we are…?" the Divermon closest to her, apparently the leader, said in a confused grunt. "We don't know…we've been here for so long…we don't know how long it's been…we don't even know who we are…"

"That's terrible," Kari said softly, looking at the number of Divermon behind the leading one. There was so many of them. "Is there anything about yourselves that you do know?"

"Yes…there is…" said the lead Divermon. "We come from the ocean outside this tunnel…we are servants to our god, who rules the depths of the ocean…"

"A god?" Kari said, the word giving her goosebumps. She had never heard of any gods in the Digital World. The Tamers had said that the Digimon Sovereigns were powerful enough to be considered gods, but were they gods themselves? And did Digimon know religion?

"Yes…he is our true god…" moaned the lead Divermon. "But one day…another god came here, and he was an evil god…not our true god…" he raised his right arm to reveal a shine of black metal. "He put these on us…they suppress our power…"

"Dark Spirals…" Kari murmured, glaring at the familiar device. So Ken had found a way to this strange dimension…or had it been Millenniummon?

"So…you know of these foul devices…" the lead one rasped. "We have been watching you for some time…and with the last of our strength…we called you here…"

"It was you?!" Kari stiffened. The cause of the nightmares, as well as the cause of her being in this world, was brought on by these helpless, pitiful Digimon before her. "But why?"

"You are…the Chosen of Light…" the leader managed, stretching out his right arm. "With the power of your Crest…you can rid us of these…and we will be free…to worship…our god again…"

"My…Crest power…?" Kari asked in confusion. How was it possible for a human to break off a Dark Spiral? The only way to do that was with a strong Digimon attack or a Digivice. She was about to say no, as much as she didn't want to leave these creatures to continue being in pain, but then she remembered when she fell sick in Machinedramon's city, her first time in the Digital World. She remembered a white light enveloping her, a light that made the Numemon worship her as their queen, and the same light that allowed the partner Digimon to Digivolve when they were low on energy. Maybe that was the power the Divermon was talking about. She looked over to the pitiful Divermon again and her heart swelled. "All right…I'll try…" She kneeled down and took the Divermon's arm in her hands. As they touched the spiral, the Crest of Light appeared over her chest and her hands began glowing a gentle, pink light. The lead Divermon and his fellows looked up and their moans went from pained and miserable to surprised and elated.

Suddenly the tunnel began shaking, and chunks of rock fell from the ceiling. Kari looked up and noticed the tunnel was caving in. "Everybody, get outside now!"

The Divermon staggered to their feet and hurried out of the collapsing tunnel as fast as they could. The ones who fell down were helped by Kari, who was the last one to escape before the tunnel caved in.

Kari coughed and sputtered from the dust that was kicked up by the cave-in. "Are you all okay?" Her answer was a horrible shriek as the Divermon looked up in the sky in horror. Kari followed their gaze, and gasped when she saw a Digimon that looked like a Megadramon fly overhead. At first, Kari thought it was a Megadramon, but then she noticed the wings were metal, and Megadramon's wings were flesh. This was Gigadramon, a Digimon that was said to be more powerful than Megadramon. A Dark Spiral was attached to his right arm.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"That is a messenger…of the evil god…" the lead Divermon said in a pained expression. Kari looked up at the Gigadramon, knowing what to do. She may not have had Salamon, but she had her D-3 in her backpack, and that was effective against Dark Spirals. She moved her arms to slide off her backpack, but she suddenly noticed the lack of extra weight on her back. Determination gave way to horror as she remembered her backpack falling off her when she entered this world.

"GENOCIDE GEARS!" Gigadramon swooped down and held out his arms, firing many missiles from them. The missiles flew down and collided with the ground, kicking up sand and making craters. The projectiles also consumed many Divermon in sickening black flames. The air already reeked with rotten flesh, but it was worse now with the scent of burning flesh.

"How could he…?" Kari asked in horror as she watched the Divermon perish in the explosions. Gigadramon flew down again, this time swiping with his claws. The bearer of Light dropped down and avoided decapitation. She dropped to her knees, wondering what she could do. She felt so helpless. She hated being alone. She needed Tai…she needed…Davis…

" _You're constantly relying on them! You can't do that!_ "

" _You're not alone. We want to help you…all of us…we're here for you…you can come to us…"_

TK and Jeri's words suddenly came back to her, and they suddenly began to make more sense. She didn't have to continue relying on Tai and Davis. The others were willing to help them out with her problems, and she could rely on them as well. They cared about her, and she cared about them as well. They all gave her strength, powered her light.

" _The light inside of me is everybody's light!_ "

Her own words from battling Apocalymon also came to her as well. It wasn't just her own brother's light that powered her, it was everybody else's as well. She had plenty of friends to help her…and she needed them now.

* * *

Jeri gasped as she saw Gigadramon flying overhead, shooting missiles from his arms at something down below…and she had a good feeling what it was.

"Elecmon, let's go! Kari needs us!"

"Right!" Elecmon began running forward with Jeri, the latter pulling out a Digivolution card.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"ELECMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LEOMON!" Another swipe from a card gave Leomon dragon wings and the lion man scooped Jeri up in his arms before flying into the air. Now airborne, Jeri could see everything below her, including the beach where she saw several black figures attempting to run from Gigadramon's missiles. And in the middle of the group was a familiar head of hair.

"That's Kari! Take us down Leomon!" Leomon nodded and flew down to the beach, placing Jeri down on the sand before flying back up and launching his Fist of the Beast King attack at Gigadramon. The dragon Digimon roared at the new challenger and began flying after him.

"Kari!" Jeri yelled, running over to the bearer of Light.

"Jeri, you're all right!" Kari exclaimed happily, but the feeling didn't last long as Leomon was swatted out of the sky by Gigadramon's Guilty Claw attack.

"We won't be for long if we don't get help. We need the others!"

"You're right…" Kari said, still on her knees. "I think I realize now what you were saying before Jeri, and what TK was trying to tell me. Everybody is there for me, and that's what gives us strength to continue fighting."

"That's right," said Jeri. "If that's what you want."

"It's not what I want Jeri…it's what I need," said Kari. "I need you. I need Tai, I need Davis. I need Salamon. TK, Rika, Henry, and Impmon. I need them all by my side. They give me strength…I give them strength as well!" The Crest of Light on Kari's chest began glowing faintly, catching everybody's attention.

* * *

"It should be around here…I can feel it…" Beelzemon muttered, concentrating on the dark feeling. As Beelzemon searched, TK walked over to Davis, who he needed to talk to.

"Davis, I have to ask you something. It's about Kari."

"What about her?" Davis asked curiously.

"Well…does Kari…rely on you and Tai?"

"Yes…" Davis said slowly, wondering what brought TK to ask him that question. "I've always been there for her whenever I could, and Tai as well."

"Well…don't you feel like she relies on you…too much?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Toki)

Davis's confused look gave way to a frown, and TK was wondering if he earned Davis's wrath again. Fortunately, that did not seem to be true as Davis sighed. "Maybe, but that's not such a bad thing. Kari is capable of taking care of herself, after all, but she needs me and Tai to draw strength from, and it's not just the two of us. She's much stronger when she's with everybody, drawing strength from all of us. It's the way she is…and it's the way I am."

"You?" TK asked confusedly.

"I'll admit, I was scared at first when I came back to the Digital World, after what happened the last time I was there, but Kari…she gave me the courage to continue with it. It wasn't just my strength that's been getting me through this. I wouldn't be half the person I am if I didn't draw strength from Kari, or Yolei, or Cody. Tai, Sora, Matt, Ryo, Takato, Henry, Rika, even you TK. Even when I'm alone, I can feel all of your strength, and it's been helping me get through this. It may sound corny, but the reason we're all strong is because we have each other and draw strength from one another. But that doesn't mean we can't handle things alone either. Kari may not understand it yet, but I know she will."

'Each other…' TK thought to himself. Now that Davis had told him this, it was becoming clearer now. Even when he was alone against Puppetmon all those years ago, he was able to escape because he knew everybody, Matt and Tai and the rest of his friends, were hoping for him to be safe. And he remembered when Angemon Digivolved, and he heard Matt say he believed in him, and everybody believed in him, and that he needed to believe in himself.

'I guess I may have been wrong about Kari after all…great, now I really feel like a jackass…'

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kawarii Nante Inai)

"You know, you're right Davis," said Takato. "The same applies for us Tamers as well. We didn't survive all the threats in our home world by our own strength. We survived by all relying on each other's strength." The brown-haired boy stroked Guilmon's head as he spoke. "And I know Jeri is doing the same right now in the Dark World. She's drawing strength from all of us, and it's giving her the will to fight with Elecmon and protect Kari. Honestly, she may be the strongest of us mentally. After everything that's happened in her life, she's been able to get through it with all of us helping her, not just by herself. Leomon was right when he said Jeri has a lion's heart." Takato had a small smile on his face, and a look in his eyes seemed dreamy of some sort.

"Uh…Takato? Are you all right?" asked Davis. Takato blinked and shook his head, as if trying to come back to the present.

"Oh…sorry, I just trailed off a little bit. But I am hoping Beelzemon is able to get us to the Dark World so we can help Jeri and Kari." Takato walked off from TK and Davis, and Guilmon looked over to the two boys.

"He has a crush on Jeri. He gets nervous every time he tries to tell her."

"Ahh, I see…" Veemon said with a chuckle.

* * *

"Guys…I think I'm feeling something…" Beelzemon said, standing at the edge of the hill. The group looked over to him.

"Is it Kari?" Salamon asked anxiously, Tai mimicking her.

"I…I think so…" Beelzemon said, looking up. It was faint, but he could swear he could hear a faint voice call out some name.

" _Tai…Davis…Salamon…TK…Impmon!_ "

"It's her, I can hear it!" gasped Salamon.

"Then this has to be where Beelzemon can open the portal!" said Takato.

"You can do it, Beelzemon! We all believe in you!" cheered Ai.

"And so does Kari!" said Mako. Beelzemon gritted his teeth and raised his arms, wondering how he could open the portal at this level. If he was Wizardmon, then it would be easy…or would it be?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Sousa)

Moments passed, and suddenly a small pinkish light began appearing in the air in front of them. As the group watched, Beelzemon strained as he concentrated all of his energy into ripping open the sky. This feeling was new to him, a foreign feeling. It was different than opening a portal to Witchelny. This did not require a magic spell, but it required all of the energy that currently flowed through his body.

Yelling loudly in pain and determination, Beelzemon's hands glowed the same color, and the tiny glow grew into a giant oval, revealing a gray beach that was being bombarded by a Gigadramon. Davis's fists clenched. That was where their missing friends were…and where he was going.

"Beelzemon did it!" Tentomon gasped in amazement.

"All right guys, let's get in there!" said Tai. Before anybody could move, the oval suddenly began shrinking rapidly.

"What's going on?!" asked Rika.

"I can't hold it open for long…" Beelzemon gasped, dropping to one knee while still holding his arms up. "I've never done anything like this before. It's different from entering and exiting Witchelny…it's draining me of my energy…"

"Then only a small handful of us will be able to get through," Davis said, picking up Veemon. "And I'm not going to stay behind!" With Veemon in his arms and Kari's backpack over his shoulders, the bearer of Miracles charged forward and leaped off the cliff. Instead of falling into the water, Davis felt himself being pulled through the air and into the shrinking portal.

"Davis, wait for me!" TK called, picking up Salamon and Patamon before jumping into the portal.

"Those two are going to get themselves killed," muttered Rika. "Renamon, let's go!" Renamon nodded and ran forward with her Tamer. "You ready?!"

"As always!" said Renamon, wrapping her arms around Rika and jumping through the portal.

"Well, we better go as well Takato!" said Henry, placing Terriermon on his head and running towards the portal. Takato and Guilmon followed them and leaped into the portal.

"It's our turn, Agumon!" said Tai. Agumon nodded and stepped forward, but before anybody else could move, the portal suddenly vanished and Beelzemon collapsed on his back, glowing brightly and shrinking to his In-Training level.

"I'm sorry…" Yaamon gasped as Ai picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "I couldn't hold it open much longer…the energy that was being drained from me…"

"Yaamon, it's all right," said Lopmon. "We did manage to get a portal open and some of our friends were able to get in. It's up to them now to get Kari and Jeri out of there."

"But if Yaamon is low on energy, how are they going to get out of there?" asked Mimi.

"They'll find a way. I'm sure of it," said Tai, clenching his fist in frustration. He was hoping to be able to make it through to help his sister, but he knew Davis, TK and the others would be there in his place. He could only hope that they would be able to make it out alive.

* * *

In the distance, Daigo Nishijima watched the scene before him with surprise and interest before turning away and returning to his van. Maki and the others at the agency would have to be informed.

* * *

Davis and the others fell through a long, blue, transparent tunnel as they entered the Dark World. As they fell, they saw numerous pillars of light all around them in different colors.

"What are those things?!" asked Veemon.

"Those must be portals to other worlds," said Henry. "There's so many of them, there's no telling where they go!"

"Well, we know where this one is going," said Terriermon. The group landed on cold grass and gasped at what they saw. The grass was gray, as well as the trees behind them and the sky above them. The ocean that stood out before them was as black as tar. Below, they could see several dark figures being blasted by the Gigadramon. And among the figures stood…

"Kari!" Davis yelled, sliding down the cliff and running towards his girlfriend, Veemon and Salamon right behind him.

"Jeri!" Takato gasped, seeing another familiar figure using a Digimon card to give Leomon a boost in speed and strength.

"FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" The attack hit Gigadramon in the face, but the dragon wasn't finished yet. Gigadramon flew down and swiped at Leomon with his tail, knocking him off balance.

"Veemon, get in there!" said Davis, pulling out his D-3. Takato, Henry and Rika pulled out their D-Arks and Digimon cards while TK pulled out his own D-3.

"Patamon, can you go for it?"

"Maybe, but I'm still sore from yesterday," said Patamon. "I don't think I can hold my Ultimate level for long."

"Then use Armor Digivolution!" said Davis, tossing his D-Terminal to TK. "Use mine!"

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Got it!" said TK, catching the D-Terminal and picking the Digimental of Friendship. "Let's try the new one…DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"PATAMON ARMOR DIGIVOLE TOOO…STEGOMON!"

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!"

"EXVEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…PAILDRAMON!"

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GROWLMON!"

"TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GARGOMON!"

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!"

"Go get him, guys!" said Davis. Stegomon, who was a green and orange stegosaurus with sharp metal spikes on his back that Digivolved from the Digimental of Friendship, stood his ground as Gigadramon flew down at him. Once Gigadramon was close, Stegomon released his attack.

"SHELL NEEDLE RAIN!" The sharp spikes flew off his back and hit Gigadramon. Most of the spikes bounced off his helmet, but several of them burrowed into his arms.

"GARGO PELLETS!"

"FOX TAIL INFERNO!"

"EXHAUST FLAME!"

Gargomon, Kyubimon and Growlmon's attacks also hit Gigadramon, forcing him to fly up, leading to a kick from Paildramon.

"Something's not right about Gigadramon," said Paildramon. "He's giving off some sort of strange energy…"

"I can feel it as well…" said Kyubimon. "He has a Dark Spiral, but yet…he seems to be a part of this world and not the Digital World."

"So what do we do?"

"If he's something from this place, then we have to destroy him entirely," said Paildramon, extending his spikes to battle Gigadramon.

"Kari, are you okay?" Davis asked, going over to the bearer of Light. Kari said nothing until she was close enough to Davis to give him a hug.

"You guys came to help me…I knew you would…"

"Of course we did!" said Davis. "We leave nobody behind." Davis looked around at the place he was in, from the pitch-black ocean, to the Gigadramon resisting Paildramon's Desperado Blaster, to the gray sand. "So this was what your nightmares was about…"

"They were," said Kari. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you or anybody Davis. I didn't understand at all what they meant, and I wasn't sure if you would be able to help me…"

"Kari…it's okay now," Davis said, looking at Kari in the eyes. "Even if I didn't know at first, I would have still tried to help. We all would have."

"I know," said Kari. "I didn't understand at first, but I do now. It's not just you and Tai and I can go to and draw strength from. Everybody is there for each other…"

"That's right," said Davis, handing Kari her backpack. "By the way, I believe this belongs to you."

"Thank you!" Kari breathed in relief, pulling her D-3 out of her backpack. The brown-haired girl looked up to see Gigadramon and Paildramon continue their battle in the skies above. Stegomon, Leomon, Growlmon, Gargomon and Kyubimon attempted to aid Paildramon, but even with cards, their attacks could only get so far. The two dragon Digimon were locked in combat high above.

The bearer of Light's face dropped into a determined frown as she looked at the battling Digimon, and then at the remaining Divermon that were still in pain from the Spirals. The others had come to fight for her, and now it was her turn. She would help her friends and the poor Divermon.

"Salamon, help them out!" The tanned puppy nodded and leaped up to Digivolve.

"SALAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GATOMON!"

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEWOMON!"

"Hey, why does she get to be colorful while the rest of us look like we're from a Charlie Chaplin movie?!" Gargomon asked, watching Angewomon take flight. Out of everybody in the Dark World, who looked like they had the color drained from them, Angewomon still looked like she would in any other world with her golden hair, fair skin, white cloths and wings, and pink sash. A faint pink light accompanied the powerful angel Digimon.

"CABLE CATCHER!" Paildramon launched his wire fingers out in an attempt to tangle up Gigadramon, but the dragon Digimon swatted them away and prepared to fire his Genocide Gears again when Angemon suddenly appeared right between the two combatants.

"Gigadramon, you attempted to kill my partner," she said in a booming voice as she brought her hands together. "I shall show you no mercy as well! HEAVEN'S CHARM!" The shining pink cross flew from her hands and cut through Gigadramon. The dragon Digimon could only roar as his body was burst not into pixels like most Digimon when they die, but black smoke that flew into the air and faded away.

"What was that black smoke?" asked Growlmon.

"I think Kyubimon and Paildramon were right," said Leomon. "That Gigadramon didn't seem normal."

"Angewomon!" Kari called happily to her partner, who floated down in front of the group with Paildramon. "Do you think you can get these spirals off the Divermon?"

"It shouldn't be a problem," Angewomon smiled softly, extending her hands.

"Angewomon, wait a minute!" Takato started, but his warning came too late as the pink light glistened on the twelve remaining Divermon. Just like Gigadramon, the spirals on their right arms faded away in black smoke instead of pixels. "There we go!" Kari said, beaming. "You're free…now…?!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

Kari's smile died and her joy was replaced with fear and confusion when she saw the Divermon beginning to transform. Their entire bodies turned black and they began growing. Their features bulged and their limbs stretched out. And from the sounds of their laughs and shouts, they were enjoying their transformation. They soon stood up, towering over the human children by a head. Their arms were long and gangly, the black surrounding their bodies swirled like smoke, and their eyes were yellow and reptilian. Kari suddenly recognized them. She had seen one of them in the school hallway earlier today.

"Is this…your true form?!" she asked in fear, backing away. She didn't get far as the lead creature stretched out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to it. Kari tried to pull her arm free, but the creature's grip was like iron.

"What…what are you doing?!" she yelled, attempting to break free. "I helped you!"

"And we thank you for that," said the lead one. "Our suspicions were correct. You are the chosen child of Light. The real reason we called you here is because you are destined to be our queen."

"No! Stop! Let me go! HELP!" Kari yelled, feeling her spine snap as her nightmare became true.

"Let her go!" Davis roared, running forward and grabbing Kari, pulling her free from the creature. Kari gasped as she fell back into Davis's arms and was pulled back to the others. Kari gasped as she felt the place her arm was grabbed beginning to bruise. "You take one more step and I'll tear your arms off myself!"

"Not if I do it first!" Angewomon growled, landing protectively in front of the two Digidestined. The other Digimon formed a protective line, standing in front of the creatures.

"You are mistaken…" said the lead creature. "She shall be our future queen. She is destined to be so. And we have plenty more hands to help us bring her to our god." The ocean suddenly began bubbling and creating waves as more dark creatures rose up from the water and began heading towards them.

"Why…why do you want me to be your queen?!" Kari yelled, shaking in Davis's arms, prompting Davis to hold her closer to him, and TK to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Because…we have become weak…" said the lead creature as the other creatures began advancing towards the humans and Digimon. "We need someone to bear our offspring, and you are the only one that can do so Kari. With you as our queen, our offspring will have the power of Light and Darkness combined. You cannot escape your destiny Kari. It has already been decided."

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Jeri screamed at the top of her lungs, making everybody look at her. The brown-haired girl stormed past everybody and looked up at the lead creature in the eye.

"You're saying this," she gestured to the swarm of dark creatures, "is her destiny! That it's been chosen for her! But what if it's not what she's chosen? You made this decision herself! Destiny is not predetermined and decided for anybody! We have the power to make our own destiny and choose it ourselves."

"Of course…" rasped the lead creature. "This is what we have chosen…"

"For yourselves," said Jeri. "But you've chosen this for Kari, and I know it's not what she's chosen at all! You think she wants to mate with sick freaks like you and whatever god you worship?! She doesn't! The only ones that can decide our fate is ourselves!"

"Jeri…" Kari breathed, touched at Jeri coming to defend her, and surprised to see her standing right in front of these…things…and not backing down at all.

"She's coming back home with us," Jeri continued. "And if we have to fight you, then so be it. But I refuse to lose anyone else that I care about. This…is what I choose for my destiny!" A flash of light from Jeri's pocket suddenly caught everybody's attention and forced the creatures to back up. Reaching into her dress pocket, Jeri gasped when she saw something familiar in her hand.

"Is that a…" TK started.

"…a Blue Card!" Rika finished, staring in awe.

"Jeri," Leomon said to his partner. Jeri turned her head to Leomon, and the two locked eyes with an understanding nod to each other. Turning back to the dark creatures, Jeri raised the card and her D-Ark in the air, and swiped the card through.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

(Play Digimon: EVO)

The light spread throughout the area, and the Digidestined and Tamers were surprised to see the color returning to them like it did Angewomon when she Digivolved. As he felt the surge of energy in him, Leomon leapt up into the air, glowing brightly.

"LEOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GRAPLEOMON!" The new Digimon landed in front of the creatures, and the fading light revealed his new form. Leomon's mane had changed from yellow to a dark orange color and was held back by a metallic headpiece, and two fangs jutted out from his mouth. His body was clad in black and white armor, and on his arms and legs were red and white turbines that were spinning rapidly.

"Amazing…" Takato gasped in awe as Rika raised up her D-Ark to scan the new arrival.

"GrapLeomon. Ultimate level Beast Man Digimon, Vaccine attribute. He's a Grappling-species Digimon whose turbines are powered by his strong sense of justice and bravery. His special attacks are a powerful punch called King of Fists, and a barrage of roundhouse kicks called Cyclone Turbine."

"Evolving will not help you…" the lead creature as he stepped forward with the other creature. "We shall have our queen today…"

"You'll have to be disappointed instead!" said GrapLeomon. "KING OF FISTS!" Thrusting his right arm forward at a fast pace, a strong wave of wind was released and tore through the creatures while tearing up the ground it was under.

"Holy cow, that's power!" gaped Gargomon.

"Don't be mesmerized!" said Kyubimon. "There's more of them coming!" Sure enough, more of the creatures began advancing for the children.

"Then we'll just have to take them down!" said Paildramon. "DESPERADO BLASTER!"

"GARGO PELLETS!"

The bullets fired from Paildramon and Gargomon's guns mowed down a number of the creatures, but more came out of the ocean. Kari shivered at the sight of them. "All of them…want me?" she asked in horror.

"We're not letting them take you!" said Angewomon. "CELESTIAL ARROW!" The light from the arrow was so powerful it went right through five creatures. Two of them managed to get past Paildramon and Gargomon, but Growlmon was ready to protect the humans.

"PLASMA BLADE!" The red dragon raised his arm blades up and slashed through the creatures like butter. Wanting to make sure they stayed dead, Growlmon fired his Exhaust Flame and burned their bodies away to nothingness.

"Oh, the smell!" Jeri said, covering her nose and mouth as she smelt burnt flesh coming from Growlmon's attack. "What is that?!"

"I don't know, but whatever these creatures are, I'm not sure if they're Digimon. They're not even turning into data when they die," Rika said as she watched Kyubimon and Stegomon aid GrapLeomon. Kyubimon's Fox Tail Inferno burned away the creatures attacking her in a blaze of blue flames, and she could see black some rising from the fire. Many more of the creatures were torn to shreds by Stegomon's Shell Needle Rain, but as Rika noted, the remains didn't turn into data pixels, but melted into black smoke.

"CYCLONE TURBINE!" GrapLeomon ran forward and leaped up, swinging his legs at the creatures. The power of the kicks caused the creatures' heads to be caved in, killing them instantly. GrapLeomon punched another creature in the chest, knocking him flat into the other creatures behind him like they were bowling pins.

"That's the way!" said Davis.

"You got this, guys!" Takato called as he swiped a Digimon card that boosted Growlmon's power, allowing him to scorch five creatures to nothingness with his Exhaust Flame. The Digimon continued attacking the creatures until the black things stopped moving and began backing away, going back into the ocean. This earned looks of confusion from everybody.

"Wait, what's going on now?" asked TK. "Why are they going away?"

"They must have gotten the message," said Davis, looking at the dark creatures. "Get out of here, you freaks! The next time you try and take Kari, I won't leave any of you alive!"

"Wait," said GrapLeomon, a strange feeling building up within him. "I don't think they're retreating because of us…I feel something…"

"He's right," said Kyubimon. "I can feel something approaching us, and its power is immense…"

"What? What is it?" asked TK. The bearer of Hope's question was answered almost immediately as the ground underneath them began shaking. The ocean in front of them suddenly pulled back as if it was caught in a low tide before coming back forward, a giant figure rising out of the water. The figure towered as high as a mountain. Kari began shaking violently in Davis and TK's arms, and Takato, Henry, Rika and Jeri could only stare in awe-struck horror. The Digimon stood their ground at the new arrival, who had the head of an octopus, a gaping maw with red eyes, a rosary of black pearl around his neck, all of his tentacles held together by chains and golden bands to give off the impression of arms and legs, and long leathery wings jutting out of his back.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Kage)

"Is that…" Davis started to ask, but Takato finished for him.

"Dagomon," Takato said in a small voice. "The ruler of the Dark Ocean."

"That's…their god?!" Kari yelled in horror.

"Welcome, humans," Dagomon said in a deep, booming voice, "to my world. I must admit, I am impressed by your strength, but especially by you, child of Light, the one I truly want." His eyes went down to the shaking Kari. "Everything I did here today was to test you, and you have passed the test."

"Wait a minute," said Davis. "The Dark Spirals, the Gigadramon…this was all a setup for Kari?!"

"Indeed," said Dagomon. "The Gigadramon you saw was a creation of mine, created from one of my Dark Ones," he gestured to the dark creatures that had gathered around him. "It is a pity that many of my Dark Ones had to perish on this day to make this possible, but they knew what to expect when I told them to die for this."

"You…you monster!" Kari yelled, no longer shivering as she moved away from Davis and looked up at Dagomon. "How could you do something like that?! They had feelings! I could hear the pain in their voices!"

"I did not kill them myself," said Dagomon. "They died of their own free will, for a great cause. Besides, my Dark Ones were already dead before they even perished today."

"What are you talking about?!" asked Henry. "What is the deal with this place anyway?!"

"Ah, I see you wish to know about this world before you," said Dagomon. "Very well then, I shall tell you."

"How about instead of boring us with a story, you just get turned into sushi?!" Gargomon yelled, charging forward at Dagomon.

"Gargomon, stop!" called Henry.

"He's just a giant squid, Henry! I highly doubt he's as powerful as they say he is!" said the dog-man.

"You wish to test my strength?" Dagomon asked in an amused tone. "Very well then. Hit me with your strongest attacks!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"GARGO PELLETS!"

"DRAGON WHEEL!"

"EXHAUST FLAME!"

"DESPERADO BLASTER!"

"SHELL NEEDLE RAIN!"

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

"KING OF FISTS!"

The attacks soared up and engulfed Dagomon's top half in a fiery explosion, leaving nothing but smoke for several moments.

"How's that?!" asked Growlmon. The hopeful looks on the humans and Digimon faded away when they saw, to their shock, that none of the attacks left a scratch on Dagomon's body. The monstrous Digimon chuckled at the attacks.

"They barely affected him at all!" gasped Rika.

"No way!" said Davis.

"That's your best shot?" he asked as he raised his arm in the air, producing a giant silver trident. "I shall show you my power now! FORBIDDEN TRIDENT!" The trident soared down and hit the ground in front of the Digidestined, creating an explosion that knocked all of the Digimon off their feet. Before they could hit the ground, Dagomon slammed his arms down into the ocean, creating pillars of water that bent and twisted, hitting the Digimon and slamming them into the rock wall. GrapLeomon held on to his Ultimate form, but Paildramon, Angewomon, Stegomon, Growlmon, Gargomon and Kyubimon reverted to their previous forms.

"No…way…" Takato breathed in shock as he helped his partner up.

"If you have it out of your system, then I shall begin," Dagomon stated.

(Play Digimon Piedmon Theme)

"The Digital World was created many years ago when computer data was formed into a world of its own, mixed with human emotions. These emotions were positive, embodying hopes and dreams of people. Digimon prospered as a result and they lived in peace, constantly Digivolving. Unfortunately, some Digimon were never able to Digivolve and they died out, or they felt they had no purpose in life and died lonely or took their own life. These negative emotions from the Digimon, as well as the dark emotions of humanity, such as fear, anger, and loneliness, led to the creation of this world and myself. Many Digimon who perished in sadness in the Digital World were reborn here as the Dark Ones." Dagomon motioned to his creatures again. "Here, they found a purpose as servants of darkness, faithfully obeying any order given to them."

The children could only stare at Dagomon, appalled not at what he was saying, but the way he was saying it. He was speaking of the origins of this world, himself and his servants in a casual tone, as if he was comfortable talking about this.

'He's a monster…just like Devimon…' TK thought in anger.

"And you're the ruler of all of this?" asked Jeri.

"I never used to be," said Dagomon. "There were others like me that wanted to rule this world. A war broke out for control. I was in command of the seas. I dedicated myself to learning any form of dark magic to become more powerful. Eventually, I became the strongest of my kind. I slew all of my brothers and rivals and I became the ruler of all of this. With my Dark Ones, I soon ruled the entire world. But one day, I took over the last frontier of this realm, and that was it. I was the god of this world, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to expand my kingdom to other realms."

"But then one day, as I sat on my throne and watched over my kingdom as always, I felt sadness and loneliness from a being in the Digital World. I thought it was a Digimon, but it was not. It was a human. I believe you call him Matt. A short while later, another human who I believe you call Sora was also close to entering my domain. Neither of them came here, but I was elated. I found a new world that I could take over. But I could not leave this dimension easily. So I began working on a new creation that would warp the barriers and allow me to enter the Digital World, black obelisks that would assert my dominance in an area."

"Control Spires!" gasped Davis. "Then that means…Ken…!"

"Ah…yes, the first human to ever come into my domain," said Dagomon. "I could feel the darkness emanating from him, courtesy of Millenniummon. He did not stay long, but in the short time, his device changed and he learned of my towers. He stole the ideas for them and went back to his world, and began planting them around the Digital World. And now that fool Millenniummon is still creating them. He thinks they are signs of his dominance, but in actuality, they are mine. More than once I have desired to eliminate the usurpers, but they have proven beneficial."

"You said they warp the barriers…" said Davis. "You mean…" he trailed off as he didn't want to finish the thought, but judging from the looks on TK and Kari's faces, as well as the Tamers' faces, they knew what it meant.

"Yes," said Dagomon. "It is slow, but I can feel the barriers weakening. Through this process, I was able to learn more about you Digidestined. In turn, I learned about you." He looked down at Kari again, and it took everything in the brown-haired girl to not shiver and look away again.

"What do you want with me?!"

"I don't _want_ you Kari, I _need_ you," Dagomon corrected her. "I have realized that if I wish to expand my territory, I need servants more powerful than the Dark Ones. And of course, the two prime elements are light and darkness. When you were chosen to be the Digidestined of Light, you became the pinnacle of light, a physical manifestation of it. I realized that if you were to become my bride, then you would give birth to a new line of servants for me, beings that have the power of light and darkness combined. With my new servants and my bride of light, I will be able to expand my kingdom into the Digital World, and eventually the Human World!"

"Never!" TK yelled in fury. "There's no way Kari would ever marry some freak like you!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"Silence!" Dagomon roared, slamming a tentacle down in front of TK. "It is not your decision to make, child of Hope! Millenniummon is right when he says that there must be light and darkness in both worlds, but the only way there can truly be balance between these two elements is if there are beings wielding both powers together." The tentacled Digimon then extended his left limb towards Kari. "Come, my dear. Accept your new destiny and become my bride of light. With our combined power, we shall spread our kingdom through out the Digital World and Real World. And then…we shall have peace."

Kari could only look at Dagomon with a horrified expression. This…sick thing that she couldn't even call a Digimon…wanted to mate with her so he could use their children for world domination. Her throat went completely dry and her arms went limp. Was this truly her destiny?

"I've heard enough of this!" said Terriermon. "Henry, I think we need to go all out!"

"I don't know Terriermon," Henry eyed Dagomon apprehensively. "This guy may be no different from the Sovereigns in terms of power!"

"And we've stood up to them before," Terriermon replied. "Don't tell me we're not going to fight him!"

"…we are," Henry said, looking up at Dagomon again. "We're not letting him have his way here! I'm just worried he may be too strong for us."

"Then we'll fight him together!" said Rika, holding up her D-Arc. "Renamon, are you ready?"

"I am," Renamon nodded.

"Henry?" Terriermon asked again. Henry hesitated, looking from Dagomon to the Dark Ones to Kari's shaking form. He knew they would have to fight to get out of this. Hopefully, they would be able to all get out of here.

"Right. Let's do this!" Henry held up his D-Arc as well and yelled two words with Rika.

(Play Digimon: One Vision MegaGargomon Version)

"BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

"TERRIERMON BIOMERGE TOOO…MEGAGARGOMON!"

"RENAMON BIOMERGE TOOO…SAKUYAMON!"

Davis, TK and Kari stared in awe as Henry and Rika combined with Terriermon and Renamon to form MegaGargomon, a giant green robot Digimon with jet engines and a dog-like face, and Sakuyamon, a beautiful woman wearing black and gold armor with a long golden staff in her hands.

"They're amazing…!" Veemon gasped.

"Humans and Digimon evolving together?" Dagomon asked, interest in his voice. "How intriguing. You think this will be enough to defeat me?"

"Does this answer your question?!" MegaGargomon asked, firing up his engines and expanding his ears like wings to fly. The machine Digimon flew up and pulled back his fist. With a yell of "POWER PUMMEL!", the fist connected with Dagomon's face. The punch contained great force that actually forced Dagomon to step back.

'Such strength…!' he thought in surprise as MegaGargomon flipped backwards, kicking him in the jaw before opening up a number of ports on his body.

"MEGA BARRAGE!" A shower of missiles and rockets pelted Dagomon in explosions, pushing him back further.

"This power you possess is impressive, but do not think it will be enough to keep me from the girl!" Dagomon summoned another trident in his hand and slammed it into the water, creating more water pillars that attempted to strike MegaGargomon.

"AMETHYST MANDALA!" Sakuyamon flew in front of MegaGargomon and raised her staff in the air, creating a barrier of magic energy that blocked the water funnels. Dagomon merely chuckled as he threw his trident again, shattering the barrier and nearly knocking the two Mega level Digimon out of the sky. Fortunately, MegaGargomon and Sakuyamon regained themselves and continued battling Dagomon. On the ground below, the Dark Ones continued advancing for Kari, but GrapLeomon was able to push them back with another King of Fists attack.

"Takato, we need to get in there!" Guilmon said, wincing slightly as he stepped forward. Takato ran forward and kept his partner up on his feet.

"I'm sorry Guilmon, but you're still hurt from yesterday. We have to leave it to Henry and Rika."

"Not just them," said Jeri, walking over to Kari, who was still frozen stiff and unresponsive to Davis.

"Come on Kari, snap out of it! You can't let this squid freak have his way with you!"

"I…I don't know…"

"Kari, you can't let what Dagomon said get to you!" Jeri yelled, turning Kari around and looking at her right in the eyes. "Remember what I said! The only one that can decide your destiny is yourself, not anybody else! I know this isn't what you want! I know what you want is to be a Digidestined, to fight and protect everybody that protect and care about you, because you care about them as well!"

"She's right," said Davis. "Don't shut us out on this Kari. We're all in this together! If Dagomon wants you, then you need to take the fight to him and tell him that you'll never become his bride! And we'll be there for you every step of the way!"

Kari was in stunned disbelief at their strong words, which suddenly began strengthening her resolve. They were right. Dagomon was just like Myotismon, the Dark Masters and every other threat she had ever faced since becoming a Digidestined. And she hadn't done it alone. She had done it with everybody else by her side. Dagomon was no different. She was terrified of Dagomon violating her just so he could have an army, but she wouldn't let that fear get to her. She had to be strong, and when she had everybody by her side, that was when she was truly at her strongest, when her light shined the brightest.

"You're right. This," she gestured to the battle going on, "isn't my destiny. What I want…is to be with Davis, with Tai. TK, Sora, everybody else. I want to be with them forever and fight alongside them. I don't want to be Dagomon's wife. I'll stand up and resist him with every ounce of light I have!"

"You can count on us to help you as well Kari," said Davis. "Like you said, when we're all together, we can stand up to anything!"

"Then I say we get in there and fight!" said Veemon. "MegaGargomon and Sakuyamon are fighting Dagomon for Kari and the others…"

"And we'll do the same!" Gatomon ran forward with Veemon as Kari's Crest of Light appeared on her chest again, and Davis's Crest of Miracles began glowing as well, the two D-3s beeping loudly as the two Rookie level Digimon began changing.

(Play Digimon Adventurd: Brave Heart)

"GATOMON WARP DIGIVOLVE TOOO...OPHANIMON!"

VEEMON WARP DIGIVOLVE TOOO...IMPERIALDRAMON!"

"Ophanimon!" TK gasped as he laid eyes on Gatomon's Mega level for the first time in three years, a female angel with ten golden wings, teal armor with a white skirt, long blond hair, a helmet with animal faces on them, and a spear in her right hand with a shield in her left hand. TK then looked at Paildramon's Mega level, a giant blue dragon with black armor on his body, massive red wings, and what looked like a giant cannon on his back. "Then that has to be Veemon's Mega level!"

"It sure is," Takato said, scanning the massive dragon with his D-Ark. "Imperialdramon. A Mega level, Ancient Dragon type Digimon, Vaccine attribute. He's said to have immense power that makes him one of the strongest Digimon. His special attacks are firing the Positron Laser on his back, and Mega Crusher, where he fires dark matter from his mouth!"

"Imperialdramon, let's go!" said Ophanimon.

"Yeah! We got this fight!" Imperialdramon spread his wings and took flight at Dagomon. The squid Digimon was busy trying to hit MegaGargomon, he was caught off-guard when the dragon Digimon slammed into his side and charged up the cannon on his back.

"POSITRON LASER!" The energy beam hit Dagomon full in the chest, and the dark aquatic lord was sent back several feet. Breathing heavily, he looked up to see Ophanimon looking down at him with a sneer on her face. Her eyes, concealed by her helmet, held anger for everything Dagomon had done to her partner over the last several days.

"Do you honestly think you can save this girl from her fate and escape from this world without being destroyed, Ophanimon?" Dagomon asked with a chuckle. "I'll destroy you all and take Kari alive! FORBIDDEN TRIDENT!"

"EDEN'S JAVELIN!" Ophanimon raised her spear and a beam of light flew out, hitting the trident and sending it flying into the water.

"You underestimate the power of light Dagomon," said the female angel as she flew over to Imperialdramon, MegaGargomon and Sakuyamon. "You think Kari will be your queen, but she has not chosen that has her destiny, and she never shall. You crave the power of light, but it will prove to be your undoing! SEFIROT CRYSTAL!"

"GARGO MISSILES!"

"MEGA CRUSHER!"

"SPIRIT STRIKE!"

Ophanimon's ten crystals flew forward along with the two giant missiles fired from MegaGargomon's shoulders, a ball of dark matter fired from Imperialdramon's mouth, and four foxes colored red, blue, yellow and green from Sakuyamon's belt. Dagomon smirked at the oncoming attacks and summoned another trident in his hands, slamming it into the water and creating a wall of water in front of him. The multitude of attacks collided with the water wall in an explosion that forced Dagomon back. Though the explosion didn't destroy him, it did leave several injuries on his body in the form of burns and scratches.

"You forget. Here in the water, I am dominant," the ocean god said with a laugh. "My servants! Return to me at once!" The Dark Ones that were still approaching the Digidestined and were being forced back by GrapLeomon and Guilmon, stopped moving forward and started moving backwards, sinking down into the black waters of the ocean. Dagomon continued laughing as he moved back from the Digimon and began sinking down into the ocean.

"Running away? You coward," Sakuyamon spat.

"I shall let you have this victory today, Digidestined," said Dagomon. "It seems clear that I made a mistake attempting to take my bride when she had so much protection. Know this, Digidestined: I am a patient Digimon. I have all the patience in the world and I do not mind waiting a little longer. This is only the beginning."

"Hey, get back here!" Davis yelled, running to the shore of the beach as he glared at Dagomon's sinking figure. "I swear, squid-face, we're not done yet! Get back here and face us like the god you say you are! I'll teach you a lesson for trying to take Kari!"

"Davis, that's enough," said GrapLeomon. "There's nothing much we can do. As Dagomon said, he's letting us win today. It would be best to not antagonize him any further."

"Besides, we don't know how strong this guy really is," said TK. "He was able to resist the combined attack of four Mega level Digimon, and he's only an Ultimate level."

"I guess you were right Takato," said Patamon. "Dagomon is one tough Digimon."

"Yeah, and like he said, this is just the beginning," Takato said. "We'll have to keep an eye out for him in the future."

"Argh…I know…" Davis muttered. "Damn it…first Millenniummon and now this…"

"At least we managed to save Kari and Jeri," Takato looked over to the brunette Tamer. "Are you okay, Jeri?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jeri said with a nod, "but Kari, though…" the group looked over to see Kari standing still. The bearer of Light stared out at the waters where she saw Dagomon and the Dark Ones retreat. It would be a while before she could forget the cold and wet grip around her arm, as well as Dagomon's leering face and disgusting appearance, nor could she forget what they said to her.

"Kari…it's all right now," Ophanimon said, landing in front of her partner and placing her hands on Kari's shoulders.

"I want to go home…" Kari said finally.

"Don't worry…we're going home," Davis said softly. "Why do you think we came for you and Jeri?" Kari couldn't help but offer a small smile. Davis could always cheer her up when she was upset.

"One question," said MegaGargomon. "How do we get out of here?"

Kari looked upwards and saw a pink light appearing from above, shooting down from the clouds and lighting up where everybody stood.

"I guess that's the way out of here," said Imperialdramon. "It's the only thing that's not black…"

"Then let's go," said Sakuyamon, taking flight with MegaGargomon and Ophanimon, the latter picking up Kari in her arms. TK, Patamon, Davis, Jeri, Elecmon, Takato and Guilmon climbed on Imperialdramon's back before the massive dragon flew up into the light. As soon as they cleared the clouds, the light changed from pink to white. The light stayed like that for a few moments before it faded, revealing Coela Point on File Island. Kari couldn't help but smile, happy to finally be out of that dark world.

* * *

Once the Digimon landed, MegaGargomon and Sakuyamon split back into Henry and Terriermon and Rika and Renamon. Imperialdramon reverted all the way to DemiVeemon and Ophanimon became Nyaromon.

"Finally!" Terriermon breathed, flopping on his back in the sand. "I was wondering when we would lose squidly!"

"I better send a message to the others and let them know that we made it out safe," Davis pulled out his D-Terminal and began typing a message to the others back in the Human World. As Davis typed, TK walked up to Kari slowly, thinking about what he wanted to say.

"Kari…is it okay if we talk for a minute?" Kari looked up at TK and hesitated slightly, regret filling her as she thought about what she said earlier to him at school.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)

"Yeah…I think we should," she nodded. "TK, I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier about you and Matt. It's just…I've lived with Tai ever since I was born, and Davis has been my best friend ever since we were six. They've always been there for me, they understand me better than most people. I didn't understand why you said that, but I think I understand now. It's not just Tai and Davis I can rely on and draw strength from. You, Jeri, Yolei and everybody else will be there for me because they care about me. And I can go to them as well. That's what you were trying to say, right?"

"Yeah…it was, to some extent," said TK. "I wanted to try and make you understand that there could be a day when you'll have to face something alone, but I was wrong. We all need each other." The blond haired boy walked forward a little before sitting down on the sand. "You were right when I said that Matt and I haven't lived with each other for eight years. My mom was able to take care of me, but shortly after our first adventures here, I began taking care of myself more. My mom worked late at the newspaper, and I lived in Setagaya, which was quite a way from Odaiba…I guess I just wanted you to be independent as well like me. But at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. And I guess in the heat of earlier today, I forgot about that we always need help…" TK looked over to see Davis with the Tamers.

"You're right," Kari smiled, looking over as well. "But I realize now I have friends that care about me and want to help me…and I want to do the same as well for them."

"Guys, I just got a message from Tai!" Davis called to everybody. "Izzy's computer is ready for us. Let's find us a Digital Gate!" The group nodded and began walking into the forest to find a television.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right?" Takato asked Jeri, staying in the back of the walking group. "I mean, to be in a place like the Dark Ocean…it must have been scary for you."

"Well…I was scared at first…" Jeri said, looking downcast. "Being in that Dark World and feeling the sadness and anguish…it was very much like when I was in the D-Reaper. But…I didn't stay afraid for long. I was able to eventually fight back against the D-Reaper, and I did the same in the Dark World."

"And Elecmon managed to Digivolve to Ultimate because of it," said Guilmon.

"Because I could feel Jeri's strength," Elecmon said, looking up to Jeri proudly. "Like I said before Jeri…you have grown stronger."

"I know," Jeri said with a sweet smile. "Right, Takato?"

"Uh…yeah! Right…" Takato stammered at the smile, his cheeks flushing red. The group finally found a television set and went through it, finding themselves back in the Human World, and Kari found herself being grabbed in a tight hug by Tai.

"Kari…thank goodness you're all right…"

"I'm okay Tai…" Kari returned the embrace tightly as well. "I had my friends with me…"

"You guys look like you've been through hell," Matt said, taking in the kids' rumpled and wet clothes.

"Believe me Matt, I think we were in Hell," TK sighed, picking up Patamon. "You guys have got to listen to what we found out."

"It's very important," added Henry, getting everybody's attention. The Digidestined and the Tamers walked out of the bay so they could talk more privately. As they walked, Renamon caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye and turned to see someone moving behind a tree. The kitsune's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What is it, Renamon?" Rika noticed her partner had stopped walking and wondered what caught her attention.

"I'm not sure Rika…I thought I saw something move over there," she motioned to the tree in her sight. "It could have been just a squirrel or a bird…but it looked big." Rika eyed the tree with suspicion as well before shrugging.

"Let's hope it was just an animal," she said before walking again. "The last thing we need is for any humans to find us out in the open…"

* * *

Daigo held his breath as he slowly peeked out from behind the tree. Whoever the girl's partner was, she definitely had amazing senses to see and hear him from far away. He would have to be more careful in the future whenever the girl with the red hair and yellow Digimon was with the children.

'Oh boy…Maki and the others aren't going to like this…' he thought to himself as he walked back to his van.

* * *

Dagomon merely sighed as he sat on his throne again in his castle, situated in the middle of the vast Dark Ocean. Today had been his one opportunity to get to the Child of Light, but it slipped through his tentacles. Millenniummon would soon begin the next phase of his plan…and during that time, she would be out of his reach.

"We are sorry master…we have failed you…" one of the Dark Ones stated, kneeling before his god.

"It matters not…" Dagomon growled softly. "Today may not have been how I planned things…but I do not mind waiting a little while longer. Soon, she shall be mine. And when she does become mine, there will finally be peace…" He chuckled, knowing when the time came again, he would be unstoppable against the Digidestined, as well as the Digimon Tamers…

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 19

 **The Dark Ocean has finally arrived in this story, we learn of its origins and Dagomon's reasons for wanting Kari, and Dagomon appears to be a powerful opponent for our heroes to fight in the future. Now, we can only wonder when he will strike next.**

 **It actually won't be long. In my profile, I stated that I had plans for the Dark Ocean to return in the third story arc of Adventure Tamers along with the Daemon Corps, but after much thinking, I've decided to change the story around a bit. The Dark Ocean mini-arc will take place shortly after the team defeats Millenniummon and frees Ken, and before they go to the Tamers' dimension. I've made this decision as for several plot reasons that I will not reveal right now.**

 **In the next chapter, the hunt for the remaining Digimentals begins. Yolei attempts to take control of a mission, but a terrible accident has the others calling her out for being selfish and stubborn, as well as attention-seeking. Yolei must now be honest with herself and wonder if this is the life she wants to live.**


	20. Chapter 20: Aquilamon and Ankylomon

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

The god of the Dark World, Dagomon, brought Kari to his realm in an attempt to make her his bride so he could command an army of being with the powers of light and darkness. Fortunately, the Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers came to her rescue, and learned that Ken Ichijouji's dark D-3 and the Control Spires originated in the Dark World. What else is there about Dagomon's realm?

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle)

Aquilamon and Ankylomon of the Sky and Earth

"So the Control Spires…they're from the Dark World? And they're also disrupting the barriers?" Izzy sat in his bedroom with Tai, Takato, Davis and Henry, the sun setting down in Odaiba. A few hours had passed after the rescue team returned from the Dark World with Kari and Jeri, and Henry had finished explaining everything.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"They are," Henry said with a nod. "It's just like how it was in the TV show. I didn't want to say anything about them yet, because…"

"I understand," Izzy returned the nod. "Different timeline, different events…still, this is a very serious matter. The longer those Control Spires stay up in the Digital World, the longer the barriers will break down…"

"And if they're broken down enough, then Dagomon will come out of his world, drown us all, and take Kari for himself!" Tentomon said worriedly. "This is horrible!"

"Still, this worries me a little bit," said Tai. "From what you said Henry, Dagomon said Matt and Sora almost ended up there as well?"

"From what he said, yes," replied Henry. "It'd be a little complicated to explain, but we can meet up with Matt and Sora tomorrow and compare notes."

"But now we need to think about what to do next," said Takato. "Dagomon said this is just the beginning, so chances are he's going to strike back…but when he'll do that is unknown."

"Then we need to take out Dagomon before he becomes a bigger threat than he is now," said Tai. "I know we also have to deal with Millenniummon, but considering there's so many of us here, we can split up. Plus, we also have the means to get into the Dark World and fight Dagomon. Some of us can go to the Dark World and the rest of us can stay here and fight Millenniummon…"

"Tai, slow down for a minute!" said Izzy. "I don't think we should do anything else involving Dagomon right now."

"What are you saying, Izzy?!" Tai yelled at the red-haired computer genius. "This Dagomon sounds like he's really bad news, and if we don't confront him soon, this could get out of hand…"

"I know that, Tai!" Izzy interrupted Tai. "I think I know how dangerous Dagomon sounds, but we can't engage an enemy we know next to nothing about."

"As much as I want to tear Dagomon apart myself," Davis looked down at the floor as he spoke, "I have to agree with Izzy. Dagomon may be an Ultimate, but he was able to resist four Mega level attacks when we fought him, and one of those attacks was Imperialdramon's Mega Crusher. I've seen that attack in action before; it's incredibly destructive and it's often rare for someone to survive that attack. Something tells me this is a situation where we'd need everybody to fight him."

"Plus, we don't even know how big of an army Dagomon has," said Henry. "He may have more of those Dark Ones than what he had at the beach."

"And what's more, if we opened up a portal to the Dark World, it wouldn't stay open for long for all of us to go through. It greatly drains Beelzemon of his energy and he reverts to his In-Training level almost immediately," voiced Izzy. "We may have to think of another way to enter the Dark World if it's necessary."

"True," said Henry. "I think our main priority right now should be to destroy the Control Spires in the Digital World first and take care of Millenniummon before we turn our attention to Dagomon and the Dark World."

"He's right," said Takato. "Millenniummon is probably using the base Ken used to occupy when he was the Digimon Emperor. There, he can monitor all of the enslaved Digimon, he can rebuild any Control Spires we take down…"

"…and he probably has Ryo and Calumon held there," said Guilmon.

"Let's not forget he can use Calumon to Digivolve Digimon now," said Terriermon. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, Henry."

"I agree Terriermon," said Henry.

"So do I," Izzy chimed in, showing his computer screen to everybody. The screen was on the grid map of the Digital World, and a number of black squares appeared, more than the white squares. "Millenniummon has been planting Control Spires like crazy, and I suspect some of the areas he's taken are ones we freed before from Ken."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"The more Spires he makes, the more our world's in danger of being overrun by Dagomon!" gasped Agumon. "We have to wreck them all!"

"We have to do more than that," said Davis. "We have to find Millenniummon's base and destroy it so no more Control Spires can be built. We also should see if we can find the remaining Digimentals. They could help us out greatly."

"Do you guys have an idea where the remaining Digimentals could be?" Tentomon asked Takato and Henry.

"Well, the Digimental of Reliability is somewhere at an oil rig, and the Digimental of Sincerity is near Digitamamon's restaurant," said Takato. "We can't really say for sure what oil rig the Digimental of Reliability is at. And as for the Digimental of Miracles," he gestured to Davis's Crest underneath his shirt, "well…it's in Millenniummon's base, being used as a power source."

"You're kidding!" gasped Davis. "Now we really need to find Millenniummon's base!"

"What about the Digimentals of Kindness and Destiny?" asked Izzy.

"Well…the Digimental of Destiny was seen in the show, but it was a little…convoluted to say the least," Henry said after a few moments of thinking, "and as for the Digimental of Kindness, it was created for the card game and video games, and it was in a CD drama, but it was never really shown in the anime, so we don't really know where the other two Digimentals are."

"I see…okay, okay…we'll have to work with what we've got then," Izzy said, typing on his computer. "Now that the situation has become more serious than before, I suggest the next trip to the Digital World, we split up into groups. Our priorities…"

"Find Millenniummon's base," said Tai.

"Rescue Ryo and Calumon," added Davis.

"Destroy as many Control Spires as possible," continued Takato.

"And find the remaining Digimentals," said Henry.

"And find a way to the Dark World so we can finish off Dagomon!" finished Veemon.

"Then if that's all we need to discuss, let's meet here tomorrow to start the new plan," said Izzy, getting nods from everybody. Once everybody had left his room, Izzy turned his attention back to his computer and began typing away on the map, looking up the locations of every oil rig in the Digital World, as well as the location of Digitamamon's restaurant.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Digital Scratch ~Koshiro no Theme~)

"You know Izzy, the Tamers have really been a big help to us ever since they came here," voiced Tentomon. "They know a whole bunch of stuff that we know next to nothing about!"

"Well, they come from a Digital World with different laws of physics than ours," said Izzy, a thoughtful look on his face. "Although I have wondered if there are things in our Digital World that are the same as what's in theirs. And I'm also curious about these data streams and levels. There's so much I still don't know about…" Ever since first entering the Digital World four years ago, Izzy had taken every opportunity he had to study it and the Digimon. Every time he found something new, it always led to new questions that he wanted to know the answers to. And ever since learning of another dimension with its own Digital World, questions had been swimming in his head like mad.

"Well, isn't that the fun part of not knowing something Izzy?" asked Tentomon. "It gives you a chance to learn and find new things!"

"True," Izzy said with a nod. "Maybe someday, I'll learn more about the Tamers' world, but for now…" the red-haired boy continued his typing, his eyes sweeping for the map. Hopefully, he could find Millenniummon's base somewhere on here…but where could it possibly be?

* * *

Several miles from Izzy's apartment building, Yolei sat on the floor of her living room on her knees, a pillow hugged to her chest and Hawkmon sitting next to her, acting like a stuffed toy. Her attention was fixated on the TV, which was currently airing one of her favorite soap operas. She had invited Kazu to watch it with her, but he turned down the offer, saying he didn't see the appeal of soap operas at all, opting instead to take Kokuwamon into Yolei's room and play a computer game.

As she watched the soap opera, she was enamored with the story of the leading female being in love with someone, only to find out that he wasn't who she thought he was, finding out that he was being involved with drug dealing. Feeling betrayed, the girl slapped her former lover in the face, breaking up with him harshly before storming out. As she watched, Yolei felt she could sympathize with the girl. The inheritor of Love had believed Ken Ichijouji was all that, but she felt betrayed and hurt when she learned he was the Digimon Emperor. And then she had learned that Ken was being controlled by Millenniummon, and he had lost a sibling beforehand. Yolei couldn't help but feel sad for Ken now, wondering what she could do to help…

And then her thoughts on Ken and her soap opera were suddenly interrupted by the soap opera suddenly changing to a news report. Blinking in surprise, Yolei turned around to see her father had changed the channel. The lavender-haired girl looked irate. She never liked it when somebody interrupted her show, even if it was her own family.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Konran ~ Shutsugeki ~ Fuan)

"Dad! I was watching that!" Mr. Inoue blinked in surprise at Yolei's yell and looked down at her confused.

"Yolei, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be heading to bed by now?"

"Dad, you know my soap operas are on every night around this time!" Yolei stood up and took the remote out of his hand. "Did you not see me sitting there?"

"Oh!" Yolei's dad said in realization, seeing the time on the clock. "Sorry Yolei, I guess I didn't see you there, and I guess I forgot about your soaps…" the middle-aged man walked off, not seeing Yolei's angry face.

'Typical. Everybody treats me like I'm invisible in this house…'

"AWK!" Yolei gasped and turned around at the pained sound, her eyes widening when she saw her older brother Mantarou had stumbled on Hawkmon, the latter letting out a squawk of surprise. From the way her brother was, it was clear to Yolei that Mantarou was walking backwards when he had tripped Hawkmon. Yolei quickly ran over and grabbed her partner, who was trying hard to not move.

"Geez, Yolei!" Mantarou griped, standing back up and picking up the towel and hairdryer he dropped when he fell. "You really need to watch where you put your toys!"

"And you need to watch where you're going!" Yolei retorted.

"Yolei, Mantarou! Be nice!" Yolei's father called from the kitchen. Yolei merely sighed as she prepared to change the channel back to her soap, but her attention was caught by a news report that was playing right now.

"It has been a month since the boy genius from Tamachi, Ken Ichijouji," the screen showed an image of Ken, "disappeared suddenly from his apartment in Tamachi, and he has not yet been found. The police, believing he's in trouble, continue their search…"

'Yeah, he's in trouble,' Yolei thought sadly, 'but police won't be able to do anything about this…'

"Hey, squirt! I'm talking to you!" Yolei blinked and looked up at her brother. "What's the deal with that bird toy of yours?" He motioned to the limp Hawkmon in her arms. "One day you're carrying a small pink ball with wings, now you've got that…thing. What happened to your other one?"

"Oh! Um…" Yolei wondered what to say. "It…burst a seam and a friend of mine skilled with sewing thread has been fixing him up."

"Okay, so what is that toy anyway?" Chizuru, who walked in moments ago when he heard Mantarou's yell, motioned to Hawkmon. "I could have sworn I heard it yell as Mantarou tripped over it." Yolei's eyes widened a little, and Hawkmon's as well.

"It's…one of these toys…that make noise when you squeeze them!" Yolei came up with an answer. "If you squeeze it, then it makes noise! Mantarou must have triggered it when he tripped on it."

"Okay…" Chizuru looked over to the TV. "So why are you watching the news? Don't you usually watch your soap operas around this time of night?"

"Yeah, Dad changed the channel on accident…" Yolei flipped back to her soap, relieved to see that it was on a commercial that was ending. Once her soap ended, Yolei turned off the TV and began walking to her room with Hawkmon in her arms when she heard the door open and saw her mother and older sister Momoe enter the apartment, the latter sneezing into a tissue.

"Oh, Yolei! Good, there you are," Mrs. Inoue said, walking over to her daughter. "I need you to work the store tomorrow. Momoe's cold got a little worse today, Chizuru's working on some music, and Mantarou's got college classes."

"Tomorrow?" asked Yolei, surprised at her mother's request. "Um…I'm not sure I can do that Mom. I have something important to do tomorrow."

"And that is?"

"Computer club again," said Yolei. It wasn't very truthful, but what she did usually everyday involved computers in a way.

"Seriously?" asked Mrs. Inoue. "It seems like you have computer club every day, even on weekends. That can't really be what you're doing. What's going on here?"

"Well…it's…you wouldn't understand."

"I think I would understand if you were being truthful Yolei. What's going on? You're away for long periods of time, you have a huge tab on the store, and you spend a lot of time in your room. We hardly see you at all anymore."

"You hardly see me, period," Yolei countered, walking into her room, her mother surprised at her words.

"Arrggh…" Yolei groaned as she flopped on her bed, Kazu turning around in his chair at the groan.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare 2)

"You got family issues, I see…"

"Yeah, thanks for being observant," Yolei replied sarcastically. "Do you have any idea how stressful and irritating it is, to be in a huge family and be seen as the oddball? Just because I'm a computer geek girl compared to Momoe, who's smart, Chizuru, who knows all kinds of stuff with music and works with Matt's band, and Mantarou, who's in college right now! I mean, geez! What's so wrong about being a computer geek? Japan is a technologically-based society!"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that!" said Kazu. "I happen to be a bit of a technology nerd myself! When you have a Digimon partner whose every form is robot-based, you get fascinated with robotics after a while."

"If you're interested in technology Yolei, I wouldn't mind letting you look me over," Kokuwamon offered, popping open a panel on his arm, showing the wires inside.

"No thanks. Not interested," Yolei sighed. "Yeah, Japan is a technological society, but everything I do related to computers is just…similar to what everybody else does with them." She let out another long sigh. "Man, this is getting to me Kazu. There's so many of us fighting Millenniummon, I don't know where I belong. I thought being a Digidestined would make me different from my other siblings, but I feel like I haven't done anything really special to make me stand out. I'm just…there, like I am in my family."

"Yeah, you may be just there for now, but lighten up!" Kazu said with a reassuring smile. "Soon, you'll be able to stand out and be a Digidestined in your own right. Besides, I'm sure your family loves you. They may give you a hard time, but they know you exist and they love you all the same."

"That sounds like your mother Kazu," said Kokuwamon. "She always says being a Tamer will be your future!"

"She's joking when she says that," Kazu said with a sigh. "Anyway, we should get some sleep." The visor-wearing boy picked up Kokuwamon and walked out the bedroom, leaving Yolei to her thoughts.

'Man…ever since I've become a Digidestined, nothing's changed. I'm still just some background character. Maybe I'm not doing enough.' Her face then became one of determination. 'Well, tomorrow, I'm going to step up! I'm going to give it all, 110%!'

* * *

"You know Kazu, I can't help but notice you and Yolei are similar in a way," stated Kokuwamon as Kazu climbed into bed. "You both feel inferior and wish to better yourselves, though you're stubborn to admit it and you do crazy things to draw attention to yourselves." Kazu sighed as he looked at his robot partner.

"Sometimes, I wish you couldn't read me so well like a book. But yeah, I have noticed that from Yolei. Let's just hope she doesn't do something rash…"

"Like we did?" Kokuwamon asked worriedly. Kazu sighed heavily, knowing what his partner was implying.

"Yeah…like we did. Anyway…good night." And with that, Kazu rolled on his side and went to sleep, ready for another big day tomorrow in the Digital World.

* * *

The next day after school ended, those that could met up at Matt's band's warehouse. Meeting up were Davis, Kari, TK, Yolei, Cody, Takato, Henry, Rika, Suzie, Kazu, Kenta, Jeri, Ai, Mako, Tai and Izzy.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Mita Koto no Nai Yatsura ga Arawareta!)

"All right, thanks for coming guys," Tai said to the group. "As you know, the events yesterday have led to new developments, which means we have to step up our game."

"Our new objective is to not only destroy every Control Spire we see, but to find Millenniummon's base as well," Davis continued. "So that means we'll have to start splitting up into groups. Once we find Millenniummon's base, we'll be able to destroy it and rescue our friends. We destroy the base, no more Control Spires will be made…"

"And then our only problem will have to be Dagomon," voiced Takato.

"But what if Dagomon attacks again?" asked Kenta. "What can we possibly do then?"

"We've been thinking it over, and it would be best if we train Impmon," said Henry. "Opening portals to the Dark World is a new thing for him and it drains him immediately, but the stronger we help him become, as well as analyzing his power levels, the more he'll be able to open portals."

"That way, the next time Dagomon attacks when we're least expecting it, Beelzemon will be able to open portals without losing energy like crazy, and he'll also help us in battle."

"Yeah, that'd be a big help," Yaamon said from his place in Ai's arms. "I don't really like being in this form at all. I can't hold things properly, I can't walk…it's annoying…and humiliating!"

"Welcome to the club," Salamon muttered, having Digivolved from Nyaromon last night after eating dinner Kari's mother made.

"From here on out, I think it would be best if we split up into different groups in the Digital World," said Davis. "We'll be able to free more sectors, and it can increase our chances in finding the base." While Davis sounded confident about finding Millenniummon's base, as well as rescuing Ryo and retrieving the Digimental with his Crest on it, he wasn't so sure yet how they would be able to get Millenniummon out of Ken's body without hurting Ken so much. Perhaps if he tried using his Crest…

"So where should we go today, and what should the groups be?" asked Cody.

"Well, Tai and I are going to stay here," said Izzy. "Ai and Mako will stay behind as well so we can look of Yaamon…and we also need to talk with Matt and Sora…"

"So that makes twelve of us going to the Digital World," said Yolei, doing the math in her head.

"Then we'll split into three groups of four," said Davis. "I'll lead one group and Takato will lead a second group…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Dancin' in the Sky ~Miyako no Theme~)

"I want to lead a group of my own!" Yolei said quickly, getting eyes on her. "Let me lead a group!"

"You, Yolei?" Davis asked, looking slightly skeptical.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Rika muttered, but Yolei ignored the comment and continued speaking.

"Come on Davis, with everything that's going on, everybody's been doing their own part, but I feel like I haven't done much. Please, let me lead a group! I want to do my best for the team!"

"Well…if you're that serious…I don't really see why not," Davis said after a moment of hesitation. "Okay, so my group will be Henry, Rika and TK, Takato's group will be Kari, Kenta and Jeri…"

"And I'll take Kazu, Suzie and Cody!" Yolei finished, walking over to Izzy's computer and holding up her D-3. "All right, let's go now! Digital Gate, Open!"

"Hang on, Yolei!" Hawkmon called, flying up to Yolei in time to be sucked into the Digital Gate with her.

"Oh, boy," Kazu said, running over to the gate. "We better make sure she doesn't do something crazy." A flash of light engulfed Kazu and Kokuwamon, who entered the Digital World. Suzie and Cody weren't far behind with their partners.

"Are you sure this is a good idea to let Yolei be a leader?" Veemon asked, looking up to Davis.

"Well, she looked like she really meant it when she said she wanted to lead, and I couldn't really argue with her when she's like that. Plus, Cody will be able to keep her in line."

"Let's hope so," Rika said with a sigh before going through the Digital Gate with her group. If anything happened on Yolei's watch, it would be on her, and hopefully she would be able to learn from whatever mistakes she could possibly make.

* * *

Yolei's group landed in a forest where the trees provided much shade, several beams of sunlight shining out from the leaves.

"This actually feels very nice," said Suzie, enjoying the coolness of the air around her. Lopmon nodded in agreement, as well as Kazu, Cody and their Digimon. Their team leader, however, was staring intently at something in the distance.

"Enjoy the shade later, troops! Our target is several miles from here!" Yolei pointed to what she saw in the distance, and the group looked up to notice a Control Spire towering over a small village. "Everybody, follow me!" Yolei ran to the Control Spire, everybody staring at her in stunned disbelief.

"What is with her today?" asked Armadillomon.

"I'm not sure, but most of last night, she was talking in her sleep about being determined and doing her best…" Hawkmon trailed off.

"Good grief," Kazu sighed. "Somebody's going to need a straight head on. Let's follow her and make sure nothing happens." Hawkmon nodded and quickly took flight after Yolei, Cody and Suzie followed. As the group ran towards the Control Spire, a Dark Ring popped out from behind a tree, watching the children intently.

* * *

From his base, Millenniummon watched the small group of children run with amusement in his eyes.

"Finally, they come…excellent. Now I can finally try out my new plaything," the evil Digimon turned around in his chair and smirked at the imprisoned Calumon, who had a look of fear on his face as Millenniummon approached him. Whatever this mean Digimon wanted with him, it would obviously not be good for him at all.

* * *

"All right Beelzemon, are you ready?" asked Izzy. The Demon Lord Digimon stood in the middle of the warehouse with Ai and Mako by his side. Izzy had his computer open and it was analyzing Beelzemon's levels.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Beelzemon sighed, wondering what the point of all of this was.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Iku zo! Digital World)

"Okay then, on my mark…3…2…1…GO!" Beelzemon raised his arms and strained again like yesterday. Another pained yell was let out as a purple light appeared in front of him and split open to reveal the Dark World.

"Timer on!" said Izzy, pressing a button on his computer. Beelzemon groaned and strained, but he could feel his energy leaving fast like yesterday. The portal began closing rapidly until it was a small floating light that hovered for a moment before sputtering out. Beelzemon let out a gasp as he flopped on his back and changed back into Yaamon.

"Darn it…again with this…"

"Hmm…" Izzy hummed to himself as he looked at the time. "The time the portal stayed open was about as long as the last portal stayed open before closing. It was open for about thirty seconds."

"So, we need to find a way to get the portal to stay open longer," said Tai.

"Hey, not that it's good that we have a way to get to the Dark World again if necessary, but even if I'm able to keep it open without dropping dead, how do we know if I can close it?" Yaamon asked skeptically. "What's to stop a Dark One from sneaking through it when we're not looking?"

"We'll have to worry about that once you get strong enough to keep it open without reverting instantly to In-Training level," answered Izzy. "That should be all for today's test. We'll come back to this tomorrow."

"Tests won't be enough to make me stronger, Einstein," replied Yaamon. "I need to be out there on the battlefield, fighting alongside the others. It's the only way I'll be able to become stronger to help you guys out."

"You should also eat as well," Agumon offered some fruit salad to Yaamon. "You'll be able to keep up your strength as well like that."

"If you say so," Yaamon jumped up and began eating out of the bowl.

"Do you have more fruit salad?" asked Ai. Izzy nodded and motioned to the fruit he had brought along for the meeting. The twins walked over and began eating as well. Izzy smiled at the two little kids eating before he went back to the scans he got of Beelzemon. The power levels were high, especially higher when he opened the portal to the Dark World. But he also noticed that it wasn't the upper limits of Beelzemon's power.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

'I wonder…could Beelzemon become stronger than he usually is? And could the same be said for our Digimon as well?'

"Hey, Izzy!" The red-haired boy looked up from his work to see Matt and Sora walk into the warehouse with Biyomon and Gabumon next to them. "You said you wanted to see us?"

"Yeah, I did," said Izzy. "I was hoping for Kari to be here, but I wrote down what she told me before she left. I think we need to talk."

"Sure Izzy. About what?" Sora asked, sitting down with Matt as Gabumon and Biyomon went to join the twins and the other Digimon in eating fruit salad.

"It's about what happened to you guys four years ago right before our last fight with Piedmon," Tai answered, pulling up a chair as well. Matt froze slightly, as did Sora. Shortly after returning home from defeating Apocalymon, Matt had told Tai what he had experienced in a dark cave that made him realize the true meaning of friendship, and Sora had told him that she suffered something similar when she was filled with doubt over finding everybody else in time. Neither of them liked talking about it much, as it brought up unpleasant memories.

"What about them?" Matt asked apprehensively.

"Well, you might want to hear us out first," said Izzy. "This is something you weren't told yesterday when we were being told about the Dark World…"

* * *

"There it is! Right ahead!" Yolei declared. Her group peeked out from the bushes to see the Control Spire fifty yards from them. Unfortunately, attacking the Spire would not be easy, as they noticed. Several Digimon walked around the Spire, all wearing brainwashing devices. The Digimon they noticed were a Digimon that looked like Birdramon, but with black feathers, a yellow-furred Digimon that looked like a gorilla, a small Digimon wearing a Kendo outfit and holding a shinai, a reptile-like tail trailing behind him, and a red, yellow and green Digimon that looked like Agumon built out of Lego bricks. The Birdramon lookalike and the gorilla-looking Digimon wore Dark Spirals, while the Lego Agumon and the Kendo reptile wore Dark Rings.

"All right, what have we got here?" Yolei looked over to Kazu and Suzie. "Talk to me. Who are those Digimon?" The two Tamers pulled out their D-Arcs for analysis, Kazu scanning the reptile and bird, and Suzie scanning the gorilla and Lego Digimon.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"Kotemon. Rookie level Reptile Digimon, Data attribute. He's skilled in the ways of Kendo, and has a strong sense of justice despite having a timid personality. His special attacks are Fire Men, setting his shinai on fire and striking the opponent's head, and Thunder Kote, charging his shinai with electricity before striking the opponent's arm.

"Sabirdramon. Champion level Giant Bird Digimon, Vaccine attribute. A variant of Birdramon covered in black flames that attacks to a ferocious degree. His special attack is Black Saber, striking the enemy with his talons."

"Apemon. Champion level Beast Man Digimon, Vaccine attribute. His golden fur makes him a legendary Digimon able to ride on clouds. His special attacks are Metallic Fur, where he shoots his hairs after hardening them like metal, and Mega Bone Stick, where he attacks with the bone on his back."

"ToyAgumon. Rookie level Puppet type Digimon, Vaccine attribute. With an appearance like Agumon, his entire body is made up of plastic bricks. He has a playful side, but falls apart easily if he's afraid. His special attack is firing a toy-shaped missile from his mouth, Toy Flame."

"So we have three Vaccine attributes and one Data attribute," said Kazu. "Kokuwamon and I can handle the Kotemon. Guardromon is a Virus attribute…"

"Wait a minute, let me think for a moment!" Yolei interrupted Kazu. "Okay, so we have two Dark Rings that can power down easily if we destroy the Control Spire, but it won't be enough to stop the Dark Spirals…okay, here's the plan. Cody and I will swap D-Terminals, and we'll take on the Champion Digimon. Kazu, Suzie, you'll destroy the Dark Rings on the Rookies, and you'll take down the Control Spire."

"That sounds like an idea," said Armadillomon. "What do you think, Cody?"

"Well…" Cody looked at the Digimon again, and the Control Spire. "It could work…"

"All right, then my plan is good to go!" Yolei said instantly. "Cody, give me your D-Terminal!"

"Yolei, hang on," said Cody, who gave his D-Terminal to Yolei and took the girl's. "I said it could work, but there's no telling if they're the only Digimon around here."

"Hey, we can take them down!" Yolei said with an air of optimism. "Whatever Millenniummon throws at us, they're no match for us!"

"Don't get overconfident," said Lopmon. "That could certainly lead to your downfall."

"Oh, who says I'm overconfident? I'm just confident!" Yolei said with a scoff. "Let's get them!"

"This could end very badly…" Suzie whispered to Kazu, who could only nod in worry as he pulled out a Digimon card with Suzie.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"KOKUWAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…GUARDROMON!"

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!"

"HAWKMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…FLYBEEMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…PTERAMON!"

The bushes were blown apart as Guardromon took flight with Flybeemon, a red insect Digimon with a black helmet, and Pteramon, while Turuiemon charged at ToyAgumon.

"Go, Digidestined!" Yolei cheered out as Flybeemon flew for Apemon.

"LIGHTNING STING!" A blast of electricity flew from Flybeemon's tail and struck Apemon, forcing him to step back. The golden furred Digimon roared at the insect Digimon. "METALLIC FUR!" The hairs on his head hardened up and he fired them at Flybeemon, but the insect Digimon managed to expertly dodge the flying hairs and aimed his stinger at Apemon again.

"NEEDLE STINGER!" The stinger flew out of his thorax, but Apemon was prepared and pulled out his bone club, smacking the stinger away and leaping up at Flybeemon.

"MEGA BONE STICK!" Apemon roared, swinging his club down hard. The club struck Flybeemon and sent him down, but he regained his composure and flew up, smacking Apemon with his claws. The beast Digimon fell from the strike, but he stood back up and slammed his club in the ground, summoning a cloud that appeared underneath his feet and lifted him off the ground. Apemon flew at Flybeemon again to strike, but Flybeemon was able to prepare his Lightning Sting attack again, blasting Apemon in the chest and leaving him sprawled on the ground.

* * *

"MISSILE STORM!" Pteramon's missiles soared down from the sky and blasted the ground Sabirdramon was standing on. The black-flamed bird screeched at the dinosaur, spreading his wings and taking flight. Sabirdramon flew at a fast speed and rammed into Pteramon's wing, nearly knocking him out of the sky. But Pteramon regained himself and flew at Sabirdramon, his beak extending slightly.

"BEAK PIERCE!"

"BLACK SABER!" Sabirdramon flew down at Pteramon, his talons shining in the light. Both the beak and the talons struck, causing a clanging sound like metal hitting metal, and the two Digimon were forced back. Screeching again, Sabirdramon crossed his wings and released a barrage of black feathers that Pteramon guessed was a variant of Birdramon's Meteor Wing attack.

"MISSILE STORM!" The projectiles flew again and hit the feathers, creating a smokescreen from the explosions.

"BEAK PIERCE!" Taking advantage of the smoke, Pteramon flew for the Dark Spiral on Sabirdramon's leg. The beak struck it, but it left only a scratch.

'I'm going to need something stronger,' he thought. 'If I was Digmon…'

* * *

"TOY FLAME!" ToyAgumon's flame attack soared at Turuiemon, but the experienced Champion level Digimon dodged the attack and leapt up, kicking the puppet Digimon aside. Nearby, Kotemon charged for Guardromon, his shinai igniting in fire.

"FIRE MEN!" The shinai struck Guardromon on the head, but the machine Digimon was barely affected by the attack, and simply grabbed the shinai while staring at the reptile Digimon.

"I apologize for what I am about to do to you," Guardromon said, pulling back his arm, "but I'm afraid you are not being yourself." The machine Digimon thrust his arm forward and struck Kotemon in the face, sending him flying on his back.

"There we go!" Yolei yelled excitedly. "Now destroy that Control Spire!"

"Roger that!" Guardromon replied while Turuiemon nodded and Flybeemon and Pteramon continued their aerial battle with Apemon and Sabirdramon. Guardromon and Turuiemon began heading to the Control Spire to destroy it, when the sky above suddenly flashed a red light, catching everybody's attention.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"What the…what is that light?!" asked Cody.

"I don't know," said Suzie, "but let's just hope it's something good for us!"

"Hang on a minute…" Kazu said with narrowed eyes. "I think I've seen that light before…" The light suddenly erupted and split into four beams, striking the controlled Digimon.

* * *

"What…what is this?!" Pteramon asked in bewilderment, watching Sabirdramon's form twist and change, along with Apemon, ToyAgumon and Kotemon. The lights suddenly faded and four new Digimon stood in place. Sabirdramon was now Parrotmon, a giant green parrot-like Digimon with wings and sharp talons. Apemon had landed on the ground and became Mammothmon, a brown-furred mammoth Digimon with metal on his trunk and head, bearing a yellow symbol that looked like an eye. Kotemon had grown to become Musyamon, a red-armored Digimon that looked like a shogun warrior wielding a large metal sword. And ToyAgumon has shrunk to become Thundermon, a small ball-shaped purple Digimon with a lightning bolt between his eyes.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"They all Digivolved!" gasped Yolei. "But how?!"

"Calumon…" said Kazu. "Millenniummon must be using Calumon's power to Digivolve them!"

"It's just as we suspected," Suzie said with narrowed eyes. "Millenniummon is stepping up his game as well!"

"Then so will we!" said Yolei, refusing to back down from the new challenge. "Push forward! Destroy the Rings and Spirals, and the Spire!"

"LIGHTNING STING!" Flybeemon's attack flew at Mammothmon, but the giant Digimon swatted the lightning away with his trunk before lifting his head up. With a roar of "TUSK CRUSHER!", the tusks flew like missiles and exploded near Flybeemon. The insect Digimon spiraled out of the sky, but managed to turn himself around and land on his feet, staring up at the rampaging Ultimate level.

* * *

"MISSILE STORM!" Pteramon's missiles flew forward again, but Parrotmon was prepared this time for the attack.

"SONIC DESTROYER!" Flapping his wings, Parrotmon released a shock wave that blasted the missiles in midair and forced Pteramon back several feet.

"MJOLNIR THUNDER!" Electricity crackled between the red feathers on Parrotmon's head before firing at Pteramon. The dinosaur Digimon yelled in pain from attack and dropped to the ground, groaning from the electricity that hit him.

"Pteramon, hang in there!" Cody said, running over to his partner.

* * *

"Guardromon, let's switch enemies!" Turuiemon ran towards Musyamon, her clawed gauntlets dropping down to combat the samurai's sword.

"Very well!" said Guardromon, looking around for Thundermon. "But how do I find someone so small…UGH!" The machine Digimon took a step back when he felt something hit his chest hard. Looking down, he saw Thundermon pounding away on his chest before flying back and charging up a ball of electricity in his hands.

"THUNDER BALL!" The ball shot forward and struck Guardromon in the chest, sending him off the ground.

"Guardromon, hang on!" Kazu quickly pulled out several Digimon cards and looked over them. "There has to be a card that can be of us…"

"Kazu, look out!" yelled Cody. The visor-wearing boy looked up and let out a yell as he saw Mammothmon charging for him while ignoring Flybeemon's attacks, which were bouncing off his back.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Tamer Action)

"Good gravy!" Kazu jumped off to the side and rolled on the ground, barely avoiding Mammothmon's giant feet. "What was that about?!"

* * *

"NINJA CLAW!" Turuiemon's claws clashed with Musyamon's sword and the rabbit-woman pushed with all of her strength, but Musyamon was for more stronger physically as he pushed Turuiemon back and kicked her in the chest.

"Turuiemon, hang on! I'll give you a sword of your own!" Suzie called out, and quickly looked through her cards to find a sword card. She was so fixated on her cards, she failed to notice Musyamon charge for her, his sword glowing bright blue.

"Suzie, get out of the way!" Fortunately, Cody saw the attack coming and ran forward, pushing Suzie to the ground as Musyamon brought his sword down with a yell of "SHOGUN SWORD!" While Suzie was able to avoid the blade, Cody was not so lucky as he felt the sword slice his leg open.

"Gyy—aghh!" Cody yelled as he felt the blood flow out of his cut and on his leg, which he held in pain.

"Cody!" yelled Pteramon. "Hang on, I'm coming!"

"MJOLNIR THUNDER!" The lightning blast from Parrotmon struck Pteramon in the back again, and Thundermon rammed his small body in the dinosaur's beak, disorienting him and reverting him back to Armadillomon, who fell out of the sky and landed next to Cody.

"Come on, you guys!" Yolei yelled to Cody and Armadillomon. "I know it hurts, but you can walk it off! You're tough!"

"Yolei, please!" Flybeemon said to his partner. "I don't think either of them can fight in this condition!"

"That's unacceptable!" Yolei said angrily. "I'm not letting any of my team go down that easy! Plow right through them and head for that Control Spire!"

"GRENADE DESTROYER!" Guardromon fired his missiles again, but the projectiles simply bounced off Mammothmon, who smacked the robot Digimon aside with his trunk. Turuiemon continued attempting to battle Muysamon, but was knocked around by Thundermon, and Parrotmon was now fighting Flybeemon in the sky above.

"What are you doing?!" Yolei yelled to the fighting Digimon. "You're making an embarrassment of us!" She turned over to Kazu and Suzie. "Can't you Tamers use your cards?!"

"We're trying, but Thundermon is preventing us from using them!" said Kazu. The small Digimon had changed targets and was now pelting the ground surrounding Kazu and Suzie with his Thunder Ball attack, making it difficult for them to use Digimon cards.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"Gah!" Yolei screamed, grabbing the red beret on her head and tossing it on the ground. This is not how she imagined things would go for her. "Forget the Digimon then! Aim for the Control Spire and destroy it! We'll only have to worry about Mammothmon and Parrotmon if we do that!"

"Yolei, are you sure about that?" asked Flybeemon. The insect Digimon was quite worried about Yolei's sporadic mood.

"Of course I'm sure!" said Yolei. "This is the big time! We're going in full throttle!"

"But we need a plan if we want to…GYAH!" Turuiemon started to talk, but was slashed in the chest by Musyamon and kicked into Guardromon. The robot Digimon managed to grab Turuiemon, but this left him vulnerable to Parrotmon's Sonic Destroyer, which sent him flying into a tree.

"Yolei, they're picking us off one by one!" said Cody, clutching his still-bleeding leg. "We need to get out of here while we still can!"

"Where can we run to?!" asked Yolei. "They have our exits blocked. The only way to win this is by going forward!"

"Yolei, think about what you're doing!" begged Flybeemon, having enough of Yolei's attitude. "You're going to get us killed like this with your reckless behavior!"

"W…what?!" Yolei asked in bewilderment at her partner's words. "But…"

"FREEZING BREATH!" Mammothmon roared as his trunk released a blast of cold air that froze Flybeemon's wings solid.

"Gaah!" Flybeemon could only yell in pain as Mammothmon smacked in him in the back with his trunk, shattering his frozen wings and reverting him to Hawkmon. The red-feathered Digimon collapsed to the ground, his back aching in pain.

"Hawkmon!" Yolei cried out, running over to her partner. "Come on Hawkmon, get up! We can't go down like this!"

"Y…Yolei…" Hawkmon moaned.

"THUNDER BALL!"

"SHOGUN SWORD!"

Thundermon's electric attack struck the ground again and Kazu and Suzie were sent flying, their D-Arks rolling out of their hands as they landed hard on the ground, while Musyamon's attack knocked Guardromon and Turuiemon down again. As Yolei watched the battle, the fire that had been burning in her moments before was suddenly snuffed out, and she looked around to see Kazu and Suzie groaning from their injuried, Cody tending to both Armadillomon and his own leg, and the four Digimon heading for them. Now she could only feel fear.

"We…we need help!" Cody groaned, pulling out his D-Terminal and typing a message as fast as he could.

* * *

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"RAPID FIRE!" Rapidmon's missiles soared through the sky and blew up two Control Spires in the area Davis's group was in. Upon entering the area, they had come face-to-face with two Champion Digimon, Vilemon, a small demon Digimon with a giant mouth and wings, and Kokatorimon, a white bird Digimon incapable of flight and capable of turning Digimon to stone. The two Digimon were backed up by an Ultimate level Digimon: BigMamemon, who was a giant version of Mamemon. Angemon battle the Vilemon while Renamon engaged Kokatorimon in battle, leaving Paildramon to deal with BigMamemon and Rapidmon with the Control Spires in the area.

"BIG SMILEY BOMB!" The red energy ball flew at Paildramon, who was knocked back by the attack, but retaliated immediately with his Cable Catcher, snaring up BigMamemon and slamming him into the ground several times before firing his Desperado Blaster, kicking up pebbles and pelting the Dark Spiral, which shattered from the overwhelming bullets.

"NIGHTMARE SHOCK!" Vilemon screeched as an energy wave flew out at Angemon, but the angel Digimon spun his staff to block the attack before pulling his fist back.

"HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!" The golden beam slammed into Vilemon and sent him crashing through several trees, while also shattering the Dark Ring on his arm.

"PETRA-FIRE!" Green lasers fired from Kokatorimon's eyes and flew at Renamon, but thanks to a speed card from Rika, the kitsune Digimon was able to dodge the petrifying attack before ramming into the bird Dgimon with a headbutt, disorienting him.

"DIAMOND STORM!" The sharp leaves were released and tore into Kokatorimon, giving him sizeable cuts and destroying the Dark Ring. The white bird fell to the ground, hurt and unconscious, but alive.

"Don't you think you were a little rough on him?" TK asked Renamon as he checked on Kokatorimon.

"Maybe, but I don't really care how rough we are, just as long as they're alive," Rika answered. "We're done holding back. Millenniummon obviously means business. Besides, you're one to talk about being too rough. I saw you blast that Vilemon through twelve trees with that one attack. Are you sure that he isn't dead?"

"He isn't," Angemon walked over and dropped the unconscious Vilemon next to Kokatorimon. "He will be out of it for a while though." The sounds of explosions around them indicated Rapidmon was continuing to destroy Control Spires around the area. As he watched the destruction of the Spires, Davis couldn't help but have a feeling build up in his chest. The Digimon they fought, and the way the Spires were being built…this was definitely not like Millenniummon.

"Something's not right about this at all," Davis finally said, getting his group's attention.

"What do you mean, something's not right?" Rapidmon asked as he landed. "We took out those guys easily!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Shizuka na Fuan)

"That's the problem," said Davis. "I figured Millenniummon would have a huge number of Digimon at every area, but there were only three Digimon, and one of them was an Ultimate level. I think Millenniummon is planning something big, and he's saving all of the Digimon he's enslaved so far for that plan. This also reminds me of when we last fought Millenniummon. Everything seemed easy for us fighting his goons, but when we fought him himself, he floored us entirely."

"But the question is, what exactly is he planning?" asked TK. "And how do we get him out of Ken's body?"

"…I don't know," Davis said dejectedly, fingering his Crest. "Maybe this could help in some way…" The sound of beeping filled the air, and Davis and TK noticed it was coming from their D-Terminals.

"What is it?" asked Rika. TK opened his D-Terminal first, and his eyes widened at the message.

"It's from Cody. Yolei's group was fighting two Rookies and two Champions until some red light turned the Rookies into Champions and Champions into Ultimates!"

"Red light?!" Renamon asked in shock as Henry and Rika looked at each other.

"Rika, you don't think…?!"

"Calumon," Rika said with a grim nod. "He must have found out how to use Calumon's power to Digivolve captured Digimon."

"Damn it…this must have been what he was planning," said Davis. "But why didn't he Digivolve the Digimon here?"

"I'm not sure, but we have to get to where Yolei's team is now," said TK. "They're being overwhelmed and Cody's hurt badly! And Kazu and Suzie are hurt as well!"

"Suzie!" Henry gasped in shock. "Rapidmon, we need to get over there!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Rapidmon said, picking up Henry in his arms and taking flight. Angemon picked up TK and Rika in his arms and flew after Rapidmon, Paildramon following with Renamon and Davis in his arms.

'Suzie, please be safe…' Henry thought to himself.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"GRENADE DESTROYER!" Guardromon's missiles soared for the Control Spire, but Mammothmon's Freezing Breath froze the projectiles in midair and the missiles dropped to the ground, shattering to small ice crystals.

"Oh, dear…" Guardromon muttered as he looked up at Mammothmon's massive figure. The mammoth raised his trunk to strike Guardromon, but the machine Digimon ignited his jets and flew away from the trunk, but he was knocked back down instantly by Parrotmon.

"Damn it…Guardromon, hang on…" Kazu reached for his D-Ark, but it was kicked away by Musyamon, who raised his sword in the air to strike down the visor-wearing boy.

"Leave him alone!" Suzie yelled, grabbing a tree branch and smacking it on Musyamon's leg. The branch merely broke in two and Musyamon glared down at Suzie's defiant face. The samurai warrior merely grunted as he raised his foot and kicked Suzie in the chest, sending her skidding across the ground.

"Suzie!" Turuiemon yelled for her partner. "I'm coming!"

"THUNDER BALL!" Thundermon's attack slammed into Turuiemon's face, sending her off her feet and into a tree.

"Yolei…we can't hold out much longer," Cody grunted, dragging himself over to the older girl, who was staring at the battle in shock. "We have to retreat now."

"But…we can't…" Yolei muttered. "We…I…didn't give it all…"

"Yolei, I do not think this is a time to be stubborn!" Hawkmon advised, watching Parrotmon barrel down towards them.

"Prepare to perish for my master!" Musyamon stated boldly to Kazu, raising his sword to behead the Tamer. Kazu merely looked at him with a defiant look in his eyes.

"I don't think so…we're not done yet…!"

'This…this can't end like this!' Yolei thought as she closed her eyes tightly to avoid seeing Parrotmon come closer.

'If only Armadillomon could Digivolve to another form…!' Cody thought desperately, clutching his D-3. As Parrotmon came closer, two bright lights suddenly flashed from Yolei and Cody, and they engulfed Hawkmon and Armadillomon, who could feel themselves changing.

(Play Digimon Adventure tri: Brave Heart)

"HAWKMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…AQUILAMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANKYLOMON!"

Yolei gasped as she felt a massive clawed foot wrap itself around her body and she felt herself leave the ground. Opening her eyes and looking up, she was astonished to see that she was being held by a giant bird that looked like Hawkmon, but with horns sticking out of his head. The sound of loud footsteps below made her look down to see Cody being held by a giant yellow Digimon that looked like the Ankylosaur, with sharp spikes all over his body, and a spiked ball at the end of his tail. It looked like a giant version of Armadillomon.

"H…Hawkmon?" she asked the Digimon apprehensively. "Is that you?"

"Armadillomon!" Cody gasped in astonishment. "You…you Digivolved!"

"It is me, Yolei," Hawkmon said, his voice deeper than usual. "I have Digivolved to my Champion level, Aquilamon!"

"And you can call me Ankylomon, Cody!" replied Armadillomon.

"Hawkmon and Armadillomon Digivolved to Champion already?!" Kazu asked in surprise. "Wow, things really are being thrown out of whack now…" a cocky grin suddenly appeared on his face, despite the seriousness of the situation he was in. "…and I like it!"

"BLAST LASER!" Aquilamon opened his beak and ring-shaped energy beams flew out, hitting Parrotmon in the eye. The giant bird screeched in pain from the attack and swung his arms around like crazy, nearly grazing Aquilamon.

"Yolei, hang on!" said the giant eagle Digimon. "This is going to be a bumpy flight!"

"Even more so than when you're Halsemon?!" Yolei asked rhetorically as Aquilamon wove through Parrotmon's talons. Down below, Mammothmon let out a trumpeting sound with his trunk as he charged for Ankylomon and Cody.

"Hang on Cody!" Ankylomon said, placing his partner on the ground before standing over him. Mammothmon raised his feet up and brought them down on Ankylomon's back, but the dinosaur Digimon stood his ground, the spikes on his back offering protection. Mammothmon roared in pain as he felt the skin of his feet cut open by Ankylomon's spikes, and he backed away. Sensing the new Digimon before him was a threat, Musyamon charged forward with his sword held high, ready to strike Ankylomon, who noticed Musyamon approaching and swung his massive tail to attack.

"TAIL HAMMER!" The spiked ball crashed into Musyamon's chest, sending the samurai warrior flying off his feet. Musyamon began falling, but his fall was accelerated when Guardromon dropped down on him from above. The two Digimon crashed into the ground, with Musyamon disoriented.

"WARNING LASER!" Guardromon's eyes glowed red before releasing a concentrated laser beam that hit the Dark Ring and broke it, freeing Musyamon.

"Finally, a Dark Ring has been broken today!" Ankylomon sighed before feeling a hard punch in the face. Looking up he saw Thundermon still moving at a fast speed, performing attacks at Kazu and Suzie to prevent them from using cards.

"Damn it! He's too fast for us to use our cards!" Suzie yelled as she dodged another attack from Thundermon. Above, Aquilamon continued dodging Parrotmon's claws, his eyes fixed on the Dark Spiral.

"I got it now! GLIDE HORN!" Aquilamon's horns grew slightly as he charged for Parrotmon's Dark Spiral, but the green bird Digimon managed to catch Aquilamon with his one good eye and swung his arm around, smacking Aquilamon out of the sky. Yolei screamed as she fell to the ground below. Luckily for her, the ground wasn't far below, so she only had a bruise or two from landing on her side.

"Ow…" Yolei moaned as Aquilamon landed right next to her. "This isn't what I had wanted to happen at all!"

"Well, we can't always have everything go our way!" a familiar voice rang out. Yolei looked up to see Rapidmon appearing out of thin air, blasting Parrotmon with his Rapid Fire before landing on the ground, his eyes catching Thundermon still attacking Suzie and Kazu.

"Hey, bowling ball!" Rapidmon yelled, catching Thundermon's attention. "Pick on someone your own type!" Thundermon charged for Rapidmon and began delivering fast punches. Unfortunately, Rapidmon was much faster than Thundermon, and the green cyborg dog delivered a flurry of punches and kicks that disoriented the small mutant Digimon before firing his Tri-Beam. The green triangle slammed into Thundermon and sent him crashing to the ground, breaking his Dark Ring in the process.

"How's that feel, you little jerk?" Suzie asked the unconscious Thundermon as Henry jumped off Rapidmon's back and ran over to his sister and Kazu.

"Suzie, are you all right?" The blue-haired boy dropped down on one knee and looked over his sister. "You look banged up…"

"So do you when Rapidmon gets hit with attacks!" Suzie retorted, annoyed at Henry's protectiveness. It was acceptable when she was five years old and immature, but she was now nine years old and had matured. "I'm all right Henry, geez!"

"I just want to make sure it's nothing serious," Henry said softly. "Come on Suzie, let me look you over."

"Fine," Suzie sighed and let Henry look her over for any serious injuries that Thundermon may have inflicted on her.

"Gee Henry, nice to know you care about me!" Kazu said sarcastically as he clutched his bruised arm.

"Yes, very nice!" said Guardromon, picking up on his partner's sarcasm.

"Oh, quit whining, we're right here!" Rika sighed, walking out of the bushes with Renamon. The red-haired girl sat Kazu down on a rock and began to look over his injuries. In the sky Paildramon had joined Aquilamon in battling Parrotmon, the two Digimon coming with a plan.

"All right Aquilamon, here we go! CABLE CATCHER!" The wires flew out and wrapped around Parrotmon's body, pinning his arms to the side. "Get the Spiral now!"

"GLIDE HORN!" Aquilamon flew down again, with his horns stretching out and glowing red. The horns rammed into the Dark Spiral, which cracked from the strength of the attack. "BLAST LASER!" Aquilamon flew up again and fired his ring beams, which hit the Spiral and finally broke it. Paildramon unwrapped his wires around Parrotmon and let him fall to the ground, where Mammothmon continued his attempts to pound Ankylomon in the dirt.

"Cody, if you have an idea that can work, I would be glad to hear it!" the dinosaur Digimon grunted while dodging Mammothmon's trunk. Still gripping his bleeding leg, Cody looked up at the mammoth's head, seeing that he had no eyes, but the yellow markings on his head resembled an eye.

'I wonder…'

"Ankylomon, charge forward and hit the yellow eye symbol with your Tail Hammer! That should get him off-balance enough for us to get the Dark Spiral!"

"Okay, but I'll need a distraction!"

"One distraction coming up!" Angemon declared, flying overhead. "HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!" The golden beam hit the ground in front of Mammothmon, making the massive beast turn his attention to the airborne Digimon.

"Now's your chance Ankylomon!" called TK. "Get the Dark Spiral!"

"All right! TAIL HAMMER!" Ankylomon charged forward and leapt up, ramming his iron ball in Mammothmon's eye glyph. As Cody suspected, the glyph acted as Mammothmon's eye, and hitting it with a spiked ball caused the ancient beast great pain. Capitalizing on Mammothmon's pain, Ankylomon swung his tail around and slammed it into the Dark Spiral, the impact shattering the Dark Spiral to pieces.

"Now for the Control Spire!" yelled Davis. "Get it, Paildramon!"

"STING STRIKE!" Paildramon flew down straight for the Control Spire, his spikes going through the tower and bringing the black tower down like a mighty oak tree. Above in the sky, Yolei watched the Spire's destruction with a look that bordered on sour.

'Again with this…why can't anything ever go right for me?!'

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"Hmm…well, that was certainly entertaining," Millenniummon said with a chuckle as he watched the battle from his monitor room. "And just as I thought, the machine works." The mad Digimon turned to a machine that Calumon was in. Multiple wires were attached to the small Digimon's body, channeling his energy through them and powering the machine, which allowed any Digimon he desired to Digivolve. "I'd say today was a good day, wouldn't you say Calumon?"

"This hurts…" Calumon moaned in the machine. Whatever Millenniummon was doing to him, it wasn't fun at all and it was giving him great pain. "This hurts so much…"

"The pain won't last long," Millenniummon said, looking up at the screen. "This will only be for a few days…" His fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up several Digimon he had captured. These specific Digimon were machine and cyborg-type Digimon that he hoped would Digivolve into one of the Digimon he was seeking. As for the other Digimon, his computers were scanning the waters of the Digital World slowly and carefully, as if searching for something important…and they were.

"It could be a few days before they find it…" Millenniummon muttered. "In the meantime…" He turned his attention back to the monitors, showing a clearly frustrated Yolei. He grinned evilly at the screen.

"I think I'll have some fun with the new kids…"

* * *

"All right, so tell me what went down that day," Izzy said to Matt. "I know this is something that you may not like to talk about Matt, but I think we should know. What happened four years ago before Sora found you and Joe?"

Matt sighed heavily as he looked down at the floor, thinking about that day. Being trapped in his own misery and darkness was a terrible day in his life, just as bad as the day he was tricked into fighting Tai. This was a subject that was hard for him to talk about. Though he told Joe and TK a little of what happened, the only ones that really knew what went down were himself and Gabumon. Could he truly be able to tell Tai and Izzy what he felt that day in the cave?

Next to him, Sora was also hesitant as well. She knew that day as well, and it was a little hard for her to talk about as well.

"Matt." The blond-haired boy raised his head upon feeling a hand on his leg, and looked down to see Gabumon looking up at him with a warm reassuring smile. "It's all right to tell them. Don't keep it bottled up. Just remember what we talked about."

"Yeah, Sora!" Biyomon climbed up on her partner's lap to look at her. "You don't have to keep this sort of stuff hidden from your friends."

"You're right…" Matt said with a small smile.

"We should tell them," added Sora, hugging Biyomon close to her.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Namida no Yukue)

"It was shortly after Puppetmon was defeated," Matt started his story. "I was still wandering the Digital World searching for myself and wondering where I belonged. Eventually I ended up in a cave with Gabumon. I used to think that my only role in the group was protecting TK, but he had grown up fast and he had everybody else. I didn't know what my role was. I thought after all the crap I pulled, I didn't deserve to be around everybody. I wanted to be alone…but my loneliness and depression was trapping me in an aura of darkness and I was drowning in it." The bearer of Friendship breathed deeply before continuing. "But Gabumon was able to pull me through and I realized I wasn't alone and I never wanted to be alone, and that I was needed and valued by my friends and family. Shortly after I got pulled out of the cave, Joe found me and then we found TK near a hole that he said Sora fell into."

"Tai had sent me and TK to find the others while he and WarGreymon fought Piedmon," Sora began her story now, realizing Matt was done with his. "I kept saying to myself that I had to find everybody in time so I could get back and help Tai, but my doubts of making it back in time were eating away at me deep down and it caused me to fall in an aura of darkness as well. But Matt and Joe were able to pull me out, and I realized I didn't have to put all the stress and responsibility on myself, especially when I couldn't handle it, and that I had others to help me shoulder it as well."

"I see…" Izzy said as he typed down what his friends said. "…when I talked to Kari yesterday about the Dark Ocean, she said she wanted to try and become stronger on her own, but she always doubted if she could be as strong as Tai and Davis, since she always relied on them more than she did any of us. I think Kari's negative emotions were much stronger than Matt and Sora's, so it's possible that they, as well as Dagomon's desire to make her his bride, was what caused her to be pulled into the Dark Ocean."

"To think you guys were that close to ending up there four years ago like Kari did yesterday…" Tai said to his to best friends with worry in his voice. "I can't help but wonder what would have happened had you not been pulled out of there."

"Piedmon would have slaughtered us and nothing would have stopped him then," Izzy said gravelly. "I guess it's a good thing that didn't happen."

"Still, this is bad," said Sora. "What's not to say that Dagomon will try to strike again? The Control Spires are breaking down the barriers, and he could try and pull Kari back to his world. What do we do then?"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"We wait," said Impmon, getting everybody to look at him. The small demon had a look on his face as if he was thinking about what to say next. "From what Takato and the others told us yesterday, Dagomon made a mistake bringing Kari to his world, and he also said Dagomon would be waiting for the next opportunity to strike again."

"And that could possibly be once the Control Spires break down the barriers enough for Dagomon to get through and enter the Digital World," Izzy said with a frown of worry. "And we can't exactly go to the Dark World and fight Dagomon without knowing how powerful he truly is. If he was able to resist the attacks of four Mega level Digimon at the Ultimate level, then he could have the potential to Digivolve to Mega level as well…and he could be just as powerful as Apocalymon if he does, maybe stronger than Apocalymon." Everybody shared Izzy's look of worry, realizing how serious this situation sounded.

"So I guess it's agreed that Millenniummon and the Control Spires are our main priority right now, and once we take care of them, Dagomon and the Dark Ocean is next," said Tai. Everybody nodded, knowing that defeating Millenniummon and getting Ryo, Calumon and Ken back was important right now. Izzy's computer began beeping, and the red-haired boy looked down to see the Digital Gate being opened.

"Guys, you might want to step back. Takato's group is coming through." The group backed away from the computer on the floor, and moments later Takato, Jeri, Kari and Kenta flew out of the screen with their Digimon partners, falling in a pile on the floor.

"Oh…that was not how I wanted to come out of there…" Kenta groaned as he stood back up with the others.

"Welcome back guys," said Tai, helping Kari and Takato up. "So, how did your search go?"

"We found no sign of anything remotely to a hidden base in our areas," said Gatomon. "We did destroy all the Control Spires that we saw though, and freed more Digimon."

"Have the other groups come back yet?" asked Kari.

"No, they haven't," said Izzy, looking at the clock that read 4:30. "They should be back soon."

* * *

"So Millenniummon used Calumon's power to Digivolve the Digimon you encountered," said Henry. The two groups sat in the forest clearing where Davis's group was tending to the injuries Yolei's group sustained during their fight.

"Yes, I recognized that light anywhere," said Lopmon. "Our fears have been realized regarding Calumon."

"It was brutal," said Cody. "Those Digivolutions caught us completely off-guard and we didn't know how to combat this new, unexpected threat. If it wasn't for Armadillomon and Hawkmon Digivolving to stall Parrotmon and the other Digimon, I highly doubt you would have made it in time."

"Why didn't you guys fall back?" asked Rika. "If those Digimon were giving you a hard time, then you could have retreated and called us. Then we could meet up with you and think of a new plan."

"That's what I had in mind," said Kazu, "but Yolei, our leader, had different ideas." The visor-wearing boy looked over at the lavender-haired girl with narrowed eyes, making everybody else look over at her.

"Yolei, what is Kazu saying?" asked Davis. Yolei hesitated under Davis's stern gaze, but stood her ground.

"I…I had the team keep fighting even after the Digimon Digivolved," she answered. "I told them to keep fighting towards the Control Spire…"

"Did it ever occur to you to retreat if it was difficult for you?!" Rika scolded. "Cody nearly got his leg chopped off and Kazu and Suzie are banged up because you decided to be stubborn!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"Stubborn?!" Yolei yelled, looking at Rika with a sharp glare. "I remember you telling me how dangerous and serious this situation is! If we retreated, then Millenniummon would have won! I refuse to back down and be called a coward! I was doing what was right for the team! We should never give up!"

"You weren't doing what was right for the team, you were doing all of this just for yourself!" Kazu yelled suddenly, getting everybody to look at him in surprise. The visor-wearing Tamer looked over at Yolei with a light glare.

"Did you think I didn't notice the way you were acting today? You instantly leaped up and asked to lead a group. You insisted we only go through with only your ideas, and you didn't bother listening to our ideas and suggestions. And you didn't order a retreat when things got bad for us, and we were getting hurt! You didn't think at all Yolei, you just acted! And you didn't act at all for any of us, you just acted for yourself!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did!" Kazu countered Yolei's argument. "I can tell the type of person that you are Yolei. You're a person who's part of a large group and you want to play your part as well to your best, but you're frustrated and jealous over everybody else having better luck or more attention than you. So you act all out and do things like this just so you can get attention. Well congratulations Yolei. You got the attention you wanted by being selfish and uncaring about everything and everybody around you." Yolei was absolutely stunned at Kazu's words, as well as everybody else, though Suzie, Rika and Henry seemed to have some sort of look on their face that suggested they were remembering something. Kazu turned around and walked away from Yolei before turning back to give her one last look and saying, "I hope you're happy."

"Yolei…?" Hawkmon asked, looking at his partner sadly. Yolei could only look down at the ground in anger and sadness.

"That was a little too far Kazu," Cody scolded lightly. "I agree, what Yolei did was rash and impulsive, but you could have told her a different way."

"Yolei, I agree with what Kazu said, though I wouldn't be that harsh. You just need to be honest with yourself and with us about what you're doing…" Davis started, walking over to Yolei, but the inheritor of Love pushed his hand away from her shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped, running out of the clearing and into the forest.

"Yolei, come back! Wait for me!" Hawkmon called out, flying after Yolei.

"I know what I said was harsh," Kazu sighed after a moment of silence. "But she needs to understand how delicate this situation is."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Cody noted, making Kazu sigh and close his eyes with an expression of pain.

"I'd…rather not talk about it right now." Cody and Davis looked over to the other Tamers in their group, and from the looks of Rika, Henry and Suzie, they knew what Kazu was talking about but were staying quiet for Kazu.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"Yolei, come back!" Hawkmon called, flying after his partner.

"Not now Hawkmon," Yolei said, her voice heavy with emotion. Kazu's words had struck a chord in her. He had called her selfish and that she did everything today just for herself. She had tried to defend herself and her actions, but she couldn't seem to be able to. The question was…why?

As Yolei headed back to the Digital Gate to return home, Millenniummon watched from the distance, an evil smirk on his face.

"Yes…she will definitely be fun to break…"

* * *

A flash of light covered the warehouse room, and everybody inside was greeted with the sight of Yolei and Hawkmon, the former looking sad and the latter looking worried.

"Yolei, you're back already…" Sora started to say, but trailed off when she saw the bruises and small cuts on the younger girl's body. "What happened to you?!"

"And where are the rest of your group?" asked Izzy.

"They'll be back eventually," Yolei said, her voice devoid of emotion. "I'm going home." The glasses-wearing girl walked out of the warehouse, leaving everybody confused at the absence of Yolei's usually-bubbly personality.

"Geez, what happened with her?" asked Impmon. Izzy's computer screen flashed again, and the rest of Yolei's group came out with Davis's group, Henry supporting Cody.

"Good grief!" Tai gasped, looking at the injuries on Cody, Kazu and Suzie. "What happened to you guys?"

"And why did Yolei look sad?" asked Ai.

"It's a long story," Davis said with a sigh. "Where's Yolei? Did she come through already?"

"She did, and she said she was going home," said Biyomon. Kazu sighed heavily and began heading for the door with Kokuwamon.

"Kazu, where are you going?" asked Izzy. "You look like you need those injuries looked at…"

"I'll be fine," Kazu said, waving his hand. "I'm going to catch up with Yolei. I need to talk with her more." Once Kazu and Kokuwamon were gone, Matt turned back to the others and asked, "Okay, what happened today?"

"You might want to sit down guys, and you also might want to call Joe so he can look at Cody's leg," answered TK. Sora nodded and began calling Joe while everybody sat down so Suzie and Cody could explain everything that happened today.

* * *

Yolei walked around Odaiba for an hour before heading home. Throughout that time, she couldn't stop getting Kazu's words out of her head. She wanted to do her best for the team. That's why she took charge today and refused to retreat. The others would have done that…would they?

But then she thought about what she said to herself last night. She had called herself a background character, unable to stand out from the other Digidestined. To everybody, she was just another Digidestined, but she knew she could be more. She just wanted to do what she could. That didn't make her selfish…did it?

'I was just doing what I thought was right…wasn't I?' she thought as she entered her apartment.

"I'm home!"

"Finally, about time!" Yolei heard her mother say, walking into the hallway with an annoyed look on her face. "Where were you today? I asked you last night to help with the store, it was just me and your father!"

"I'm sure you were able to handle it yourself," Yolei said. She didn't mean to snap, but after what Kazu said to her, she was not in the mood for this right now. "I told you, I had something important to do today!"

"Yolei, I'm sure you could have put off computer club for one day," sighed Mrs. Inoue. "It's not as important as helping your family…"

"It is important!" Yolei snapped, her anger boiling up. "Being with my friends makes me who I am, gives me something to do!"

"Yolei, please calm down," said Mrs. Inoue. "I'm not yelling at you, so I don't think you need to yell. I know you like being with your friends and playing with computers, but it's also important that you help out your family."

"I do help you out!" yelled Yolei. "The problem is you barely notice anything I do around here! It's always Mantarou this, Chizuru that, Momoe this! What about me?! When have I ever felt like a part of this family? I'm barely acknowledged, and when I am you just see me as a geeky girl obsessed with soap operas and computers! You treat me like I'm invisible!"

"Honey, take it easy," Mr. Inoue walked over and calmly placed a shoulder on her youngest child's shoulder. "We don't treat you like invisible, we just…you just seem different…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"Different?!" Yolei yelled, her eyes beginning to water in anger. "I'll let you know different is good! I'd rather be some computer geek girl than be something like my siblings! Why can't you love me for who I am and show me the attention I want?! Am I the unfavorite here?!"

"Yolei, don't think of yourself like that!" Mrs. Inoue scolded softly. "We don't think of you like that. I know we don't pay as much attention to you as your other siblings, but don't think you're not loved in this family!"

"Well, when was the last time you ever showed it?!" Yolei yelled, leaving a stunned silence. The lavender-haired girl glared at her stunned parents before storming to her room. "I'm going to bed."

"It's…it's only six!" Mr. Inoue called, regaining himself.

"I don't care," Yolei snapped bitterly, not noticing Hawkmon running up to her.

"Yolei, please! I think you should listen…" The bird Digimon was cut off when the door slammed in his face, followed by the sound of the lock clicking, leaving the room in silence again.

"Yolei…" Hawkmon sighed before turning to her parents, who were both staring at him in surprise. The bird Digimon's eyes suddenly widened as he realized he had just shown himself to the couple unintentionally.

"Oh my…um, hello there!"

"What the…who…who are you?!" Mrs. Inoue asked in complete surprise.

"Are you a little person in a costume?" Mr. Inoue asked curiously, bending down and pulling on Hawkmon's face, getting a pained reaction.

"Ow! Sir, I must ask you to respect my personal space!" Hawkmon said as he backed away from Yolei's father. The door to the apartment opened again, and Kazu walked in with Kokuwamon by his side.

"Hey, I'm…back…" the Tamer trailed off when he noticed Yolei's parents staring at Hawkmon in utter bewilderment. "Huh. I guess you know about him now." Yolei's parents turned around to look at Kazu with Mrs. Inoue asking, "What are you talking about? Do you know…something about this?"

"Yes, he does," Kokuwamon answered, stepping forward to be seen. "Since you now know about Digimon, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kokuwamon, loyal partner to Kazu Shioda."

"Digi…mon?" Mr. Inoue asked in confusion. Kazu sighed, realizing there was much to be explained.

"I'll tell you everything, but I think we should get Yolei first. Where is she?"

"She locked herself in her room," said Mrs. Inoue worriedly. "She's really upset."

"Oh, boy…" Kazu took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "All right, then I'll tell you everything myself."

"Perhaps we should explain as well," voiced Kokuwamon.

"Yes," Hawkmon said with a nod.

"Okay," Kazu pulled out a chair from the dining table and sat down in it. "So, it all starts like this…"

* * *

"Damn it all…" Yolei muttered as she sat in front of her computer, surfing the web as her fingers flew across the keyboard. The lavender-haired girl had changed into her sleepwear of yellow t-shirt and green-striped shorts, and she had attempted to go to sleep, but as she was still steaming over Kazu's words, as well as what she said to her parents, she had been unable to sleep properly.

"Stupid…stupid siblings!" she grumbled, pushing away from the computer and standing up, walking out on the balcony. She felt a slight chill as her bare feet touched the concrete, but she ignored it and looked out at the city. She was so fixated on the sight of Odaiba, she didn't notice her computer screen lighting up like a Christmas tree, nor did she hear someone coming up from behind her.

Yolei fumed as she leaned on the balcony. She didn't mean to lash out like that towards her parents, but it frustrated her to no end that it was often about her own siblings and she was ignored, and she felt like it was the same in the Digidestined.

"It's not fair…I'm smarter than most of them…I can do just as well, maybe even better! I just wish I was the only child in my family. I wish I could show my talents somehow…" Before she could continue talking, an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, trapping her arms to her sides and another hand flew up to her face, pushing a cloth over her mouth and nose. The lavender-haired girl struggled in the arms of whoever was behind her, but the grip was as tight as iron. She also couldn't help but wonder how someone got into her room when her door was locked.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Taiketsu)

"MMPH!" Yolei screamed through the cloth and she could taste and smell a liquid on the cloth. Her eyes widened when she realized what was going on. She had seen this on her soap operas. She was being drugged with chloroform. Someone was kidnapping her!

Yolei struggled and screamed, but she felt consciousness slip away. Soon, her eyes closed and her body went limp. Satisfied that she was out cold, Millenniummon placed Yolei down on the ground.

"Come now Miyako…I think we should have a nice talk…" The time-bending Digimon chuckled as he walked over to Yolei's closet and looked through it, eventually finding several long scarves. Smiling as he knew they would be enough, Millenniummon walked back over to Yolei and turned her on her stomach, tying her wrists and ankles tightly with two of the scarves before sitting her up and tying a third one around her mouth. After testing the knots to make sure Yolei wouldn't be able to free herself, Millenniummon picked up Yolei and draped her over his shoulder. Walking over to the computer, he raised his hand towards the screen. The limb glowed purple and the screen lit up again, sucking up Millenniummon and his captive.

(Play Days -Aijou to Nichijou- TV Size)

END CHAPTER 20

 **A quick notice: Starting from here on out, these updates will start to become a little less frequent. I wrote a lot of chapters in advance, but this is where the chapters will start to slow down a little bit. But don't worry. This story is not abandoned or forgotten by a long shot. I'm still writing, and with any luck, I should have the next chapter up by next week. My apologies, but I can be a little scatterbrained and easily distracted from time to time.**

 **In the next chapter, Yolei sees first-hand the horror that is Millenniummon, and Kazu comes to help her as we learn about the incident in Kazu's past that has been mentioned the last few chapters.**


	21. Chapter 21: The Bird that Threatens

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Aban)

Her jealousy over her siblings and her frustration over not doing much as a Digidestined getting the better of her, Yolei volunteered to lead her own team on a mission. However, her stubbornness got the better of her, and nearly got her team killed, even though Hawkmon and Armadillomon managed to Digivolve to their Champion levels Aquilamon and Ankylomon. Being called selfish by Kazu, Yolei went home dejected and was kidnapped from her bedroom by Millenniummon…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Bird that Threatens Shinjuku! Eaglemon

Yamaki opened his lighter and closed it again as he sat in front of his desk in Hypnos, reading a message from Takato that had been sent yesterday. The message said that the Tamers may be staying a little longer to help the Digidestined deal with Dagomon, a Digimon based off of Cthulhu from Lovecraftian stories after they deal with the newly-returned Millenniummon who had captured Ryo.

When he received the message, Yamaki was in disbelief at first as he was led to believe that the data of this Millenniummon was in Ryo's partner. But when he read that Jeri's partner Leomon had returned to life through his data being extracted from Impmon, he believed that it was possible that Millenniummon's data was extracted from Monodramon as well.

After reading the entire message, he was now regarding it with slight interest and concern. The blond-haired man was surprised when he heard there was another world that existed in the Digidestined dimension that was entirely built on negative emotions and data, and the residents of that world wanted to expand and grow their empire. He was also unsettled deeply when the message also said that these creatures and their ruler were practically Cthulhu and his servants from Lovecraftian stories. It also concerned him that perhaps their own dimension had a Dark World of its own, filled with Deep Ones that fed off the misery and loneliness of people and wanted to grow their stranglehold and destroy everything. It reminded him slightly of the D-Reaper, and the last thing he needed was another D-Reaper crisis in this world, especially when their best chance of countering said force, the Tamers, were in another dimension.

"Thinking about the kids again?" Yamaki looked up from the communications device to see Shibumi enter the office and sit down in the chair nearest to him. "They've been on Janyu's mind as well ever since they left, Henry and Suzie especially."

"Yes," Yamaki said gruffly. "I can only wonder how long it will be until they return here…after receiving Takato's message last night I'm concerned about a threat coming that we won't be able to beat back without the Tamers. This Dark World and Dagomon that Takato told me about sounds troubling, and I can't help but wonder if we have a world similar to that in this dimension…"

"Perhaps," said Shibumi, a look of thought on his face. "Given that we've recently learned of another dimension parallel to ours, and quite possibly more…"

"More?" Yamaki asked with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean, more?"

"Well, this is something I've been looking into with Robert and Janyu since we learned about Ryo," Shibumi explained, leading Yamaki out of the office and to his workplace, which was filled with several books and papers, and three computers open to websites on Japan's Heian era, and images of a dragon, a turtle, a phoenix and a tiger. "What do you know about the Four Symbols?"

"I know that they're mythological creatures in Chinese constellations," Yamaki answered after thinking for a moment. "They're divided in directions and seasons. The Azure Dragon of the East representing spring, the Vermilion Bird of the South representing Summer, the White Tiger of the West representing Autumn, and the Black Turtle of the North representing Winter."

"Exactly," said Shibumi, sitting down and typing on one of his computers.

"What does this have to do with your research?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Blue Card)

"The Sovereigns," Shibumi answered simply, bringing up the image of the four Sovereigns. "Take a look. Azulongmon is a dragon, Zhuqiaomon is a bird, Baihumon is a tiger, and Ebonwumon is a turtle. And when you look at this image…" The bearded man pulled up an old picture of the beasts represented in the Four Symbols, and Yamaki had to remove his sunglasses for a better look.

"They look exactly alike," the blond-haired man said in surprise. "But the turtle in the Four Symbols has only one head and a snake around his body…"

"I think Ebonwumon's second head is the snake," said Shibumi. "If the Sovereigns are based on the Four Symbols, it would make sense for them to have protection over a certain direction. Ryo said that Azulongmon is the Sovereign that watches over the dimension that is home to the Digidestined, and given our history with Zhuqiaomon, it is apparent that our dimension is watched over by Zhuqiaomon. But what of Baihumon and Ebonwumon? Wouldn't it make sense for them to have their own directions as well?" Yamaki looked from the Digimon to the Four Symbols again, and it suddenly came to him in an instant.

"Are you saying…there may be two more dimensions next to ours and the Digidestined's?"

"Yes," Shibumi said with a nod. "We believe there may be other dimensions out there, but our world, the Digidestined's world, and the other possible two are at the center of it all. And I believe there may be a fifth world as well." Shibumi typed again, and an image of a golden dragon appeared. "The Yellow Dragon Huang Long, the guardian of the center. The one that the other Symbols revolve around, representing the change in seasons…"

"Could it be possible?" asked Yamaki. "The Yellow Dragon usually doesn't apply in Japan, and we've never seen a fifth Digimon Sovereign…"

"Perhaps," said Shibumi, looking back at the computer screen. The two men could only wonder if this theory was true, if there were two more, possibly three more dimensions close to theirs and the other one, and if they had their own Digidestined or Tamers…

* * *

"Digimon Tamer?" Momoe asked in confusion. "That's what you and Yolei call yourselves?"

"Well, actually, me and my friends are Digimon Tamers," answered Kazu. "Yolei and her friends are the Digidestined."

Kazu sat in the Inoue apartment's living room with Yolei's parents and siblings, spending the last hour explaining everything to them about Hawkmon, the Digital World and the Digimon, and even told them about the dimension he came from. The family of five were surprised at Kazu's tale and stared at the two Digimon in surprise as Hawkmon and Kokuwamon told their parts of the story as well. Yolei was absent from this gathering as she was still in her bedroom, and she had locked the door to not be disturbed.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"You said that…Hawkmon and Kokuwamon, is it…were called Digimon. What does that mean exactly?" asked Mantarou.

"It's short for Digital Monster," replied Kazu. "The Digital World is like Earth, but with different laws of physics, and some of the Digimon live by the law of the wild, kill or be killed."

"And Yolei is a part of this?" asked Chizuru.

"She is, and I am her partner Digimon," said Hawkmon. "I protect her from any harm and trouble she is in whenever it comes around, and believe me, she seems to get in a lot of trouble due to her reckless attitude."

"Yeah, she can be like that," said Momoe. "Still, I think I can see now why she has such a high tab on the store. To feed that many mouths…"

"Did something happen today in the Digital World?" asked Mrs. Inoue, a worried look on her face. "Yolei was in a foul mood when she came home. She locked herself in her bedroom and she hasn't come out since then."

"Yeah…something happened," Kazu said with a grimace. "I think we should get Yolei out here so we can all talk." The visor-wearing boy stood up and walked over to Yolei's bedroom door, knocking on it several times. "Hey Yolei! Come out here so we can talk! I promise I'm not going to yell at you again!" Kazu waited several minutes, but he didn't hear any movement or a response from Yolei.

"Here. Let me." Yolei's father walked up and knocked on the door lightly. "Yolei, it's your father. Kazu told us about what you've been really doing the last few months. I promise I'm not mad at you, and your mother's not mad either. We just want to talk, honey. We really do love you, and we're worried about you." All was quiet for a moment, and there was still no response.

"Do you think she's sleeping?" asked Chizuru. "Yolei can be a heavy sleeper sometimes."

"I doubt it," said Momoe. "Yolei may be a heavy sleeper, but she snores like a chainsaw cutting trees. If she was sleeping, we could hear her snoring."

"Can you open this door?" asked Hawkmon. "I can tell we all want to talk with Yolei sooner rather than later."

"We don't have a key, and it locks on the inside," said Mrs. Inoue. "Yolei's the only one that can unlock it."

"Well, I think we should make our own key," Kokuwamon stated, walking up to the door and holding up his pincer. The metal claws sparked with electricity as Kokuwamon made a cut around the doorknob, which fell to the floor with a thud.

"What was that for?!" Kazu scolded his partner as Momoe opened the bedroom door. "You don't know what Yolei was doing in there! She could be sleeping, or she could be changing…"

"…Or she could not be in her room at all," said Momoe. Kazu looked up and was surprised to see the room was empty.

"What the…where did she go?" asked Mantarou. Kazu, the Inoues and the Digimon walked into the room and looked around for any sign of Yolei. Chizuru walked over to Yolei's computer and saw that it was still on, and saw what it was on with interest.

"Yolei left her computer on something called a…Digital Gate program."

"Let me see!" Kazu ran over and saw that the Digital Gate was open on Yolei's computer.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Yolei must have gone to clear her head in the Digital World. You think she would have left a note…"

"And brought me along," Hawkmon said, looking at the pile of Yolei's discarded clothes. "It's too dangerous for Yolei to go to the Digital World alone…"

"Then I'll have to get her," Kazu said, pulling out his D-Ark and turning to Yolei's family. "I'll be back soon with Yolei, I promise. Digital Gate, Open!" The screen flashed brightly and it sucked up Kazu, Hawkmon and Kokuwamon. The family of five looked on in astonishment at Kazu's actions and vanishing.

"Did they just…get sucked into a computer?" Mantarou asked in disbelief.

* * *

Yolei groaned as she woke up to a slight chill in the air. Her head felt so light as she opened her eyes slowly. Did she have a headache? It couldn't have been that since her head wasn't pounding like a drum. Perhaps the events of today, between the battle, being chewed out by Kazu, and arguing with her parents, drained her and she fell asleep.

She attempted to rub her head to get feeling back into it, but found herself unable to move her hands. No, she could move them, but they were bound behind her back. She attempted to stand up, but she felt something holding her legs together at the ankles. Opening her eyes Yolei saw her feet were tied together with what looked like a scarf. And what was more, when she looked up, she saw that she was not in her room, but a forest, and she was sitting up with her back to a tree.

"Hey, what gives?!" Yolei shouted, or at least she tried to. Her mouth was gagged as well, and all that came out were muffled grunts. It suddenly came back to her. Somebody has subdued her with chloroform in her bedroom and kidnapped her. What was going on here? How did her kidnapper manage to get into her room with the door locked? And how did they get her to this forest?!

"Awake I see, Miyako."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

Yolei froze when she heard the deep, dark familiar voice ring out near her. Turning her head, she let out a muffled scream and fell on her side when she saw who was standing there. Though he had the appearance of Ken Ichijouji in his Digimon Emperor attire, she knew it wasn't really Ken, but Millenniummon possessing Ken. The lavender-haired girl struggled in her bonds and began crawling away from the mad Digimon as best she could, but Millenniummon grabbed Yolei's legs and pulled her back towards him, sitting her up behind a tree and tying more rope around her, pinning her to the tree. Yolei struggled some more and yelled through the gag, but the ropes held firm and the gag was on too tight, muffling her screams.

"Come now Yolei, I just wish to have a talk with you. Of course, I could be doing most of the talking since you you're gagged. Although I do find it an improvement. After all, you have quite a big mouth," Millenniummon said with a chuckle, making Yolei growl. "But since we're alone…" He walked forward and knelt down next to Yolei, pulling the gag down so it hung around her neck. Yolei took a deep breath before looking up at Millenniummon with a glare.

"What's the big idea, kidnapping me?! How did you even get into my room?!"

"I have the ability to teleport myself to different locations," said Millenniummon. "Plus, I was also able to find your IP address. It's how Ken was able to get into Tai's apartment and kidnapped Agumon. I could teleport myself anywhere if I wanted to in this dimension, even your friends' houses and easily slice their throats in the dead of night." Yolei felt her blood run cold, not just from hearing Millenniummon's words, but also the casual way he talked of teleporting into someone's house and slicing their throats open as they slept. If he could do that the entire time, why did he never do that?

"I suppose you're wondering why I've never done that," Millenniummon said as if he was reading Yolei's mind. "If I did do that, it would simply be a boring, anticlimactic finish for the Digidestined. Granted, I could always travel back in time and kill you another way, but the only deaths I'll be satisfied with is if you fall by my hands in battle. But that doesn't mean I can't make it challenging. Why do you think I took Calumon?"

"You monster," Yolei snarled, staring at Millenniummon with as much defiance as she could muster while tied up. "You don't care about any innocent lives, don't you?!"

"Ryo is the only one of you that matters to me. He is the only one I need alive for my future," Millenniummon said simply before smiling and stroking his chin. "Although, it would be a little lonely after a while if it was just myself and Ryo. So, it would help if I had some generals for the army I'll be building soon."

"Generals?" Yolei asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, generals? And what does this have to do with kidnapping me?"

"Because Yolei, I want you as one of my generals in my army," Millenniummon answered, making Yolei's eyes widen in shock.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Me?! But…you must be kidding. I'm not someone you want as a leader. If you want generals, then surely Davis, or Tai…or even Takato…!"

"Ah yes, the ones who wear the goggles," Millenniummon said with a nod. "I do plan on them as my generals, but they won't be enough. I want you Yolei, because I admire you, unlike most people."

"W…what?" asked Yolei, looking flustered. "What do you mean?"

"You seem to have quite the skill with computers," said Millenniummon, "and you have some intelligence as well. Granted, you can be scatterbrained and impulsive, but you are able to lead with an effective ruthlessness and uncaring for how your comrades are doing. I saw you lead today Yolei, and you have potential." By now Yolei had completely lost her will to talk and could only look flustered at everything Millenniummon was saying about her, and she also didn't like what he said about her not caring about her friends' injuries during today's disastrous mission. She didn't mean to ignore the pain and trouble her friends were in, she was just too focused on being a leader.

"But I think a brilliant mind like yours is being wasted with company like theirs," Millenniummon continued. "You know it as well. Why else do you show such frustration and jealousy to those you call your friends and family? You deserve better Yolei, and you know it. Thanks to me, Ken saw that as well."

"You were controlling him from day one!" Yolei yelled, her anger flaring up again. "All because of your Dark Spore!"

"Which worked to perfection," Millenniummon said with an evil smile on his face. "My Dark Spores are able to enhance the negative aspects of a host, and Ken had many negative emotions that provided such sustenance for the Spore. In fact, his negative emotions are very much like yours, Yolei."

"My…my what?" Yolei asked, her face switching from angry to confused. "What do you mean, my negative emotions are like Ken's?"

"Are you really this dense?" Millenniummon asked with a laugh. "You have a crush on the boy, and yet you don't know the first thing about him. How pathetic is that?!" He released a loud laugh before approaching Yolei again, the girl attempting to escape but the ropes kept her secure to the tree.

"I could tell you…" Millenniummon's hand flew to Yolei's forehead and clamped down over it. "…but it will be more fun to show you."

Yolei gasped as her vision began to be flooded with memories of Ken's past in the Digital World and the Human World.

She saw a young Ken living in the shadow of his older brother Sam, who was smarter and received more attention from everybody, including his parents. She saw Ken yell at Sam how he was receiving more attention than him, and yelled, "I wish you'd just go away and never come back!"

And then she saw Sam get hit by a speeding car and die from his injuries, devastating Ken. Yolei watched as Ken spiraled into depression brought on by Sam's death, his parents mourning continuously over Sam, and Davis never contacting Ken in any way.

Another flash of light and Yolei saw Ken in a world filled with darkness that she could only guess was the Dark World the Tamers talked about, as well as the same world Kari and Jeri ended up in. She watched Ken stick his Digivice into the water and it turned into the black D-3. Ken looked at the D-3 with an evil look, and Yolei suddenly realized that this was the moment the Digimon Emperor was born.

"That moment was when my Dark Spore finally activated and began taking over Ken," Millenniummon said, removing his hand from Yolei's head and bringing her back to the forest. "His intelligence heightened and he decided to show his smarts like his brother before him, and thus his parents began paying more attention to him. As this happened, my Spore corrupted him gradually and it made him a dangerous threat to all."

"Why…" Yolei gasped, horrified and saddened at what she saw. "Why did you show me that?"

(Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"Because, you're a lot like Ken," said Millenniummon. "You resent your siblings for all of the attention they receive when you're smarter than they are! You wish to be the only one in your family and have all the attention to yourself. But you realize being yourself doesn't work, so you go berserk over every little thing that irritates you. And it extends to the other Digidestined as well. They know you're smarter than you appear to be, but they still give you the shaft and you know it. That's why you decided to act all hotheaded and nearly kill everybody today. I guess you thought if they were gone, you wouldn't have any competition to worry about?"

"No…no…" Yolei said, shaken up by Millenniummon's words. "I'm not like that at all!"

"You're only lying to yourself Yolei," Millenniummon chuckled. "I can read you like an open book. You wish to be recognized and I can grant you that wish. Join me and I can eliminate your family for you, and those that you feel threatened by!"

"No!" Yolei screamed as she struggled to break free from the ropes tying her to the tree. "I may be jealous of my siblings, but I would never wish for them to be dead at all!"

"Do you?" Millenniummon asked with a smirk. He raised his hand and Yolei gasped when she saw a smoky memory of herself in her room moments before her kidnapping and she said these words: "I wish I was the only child in my family!"

"I…but…no…" Yolei felt her eyes water as she tried to make a comeback to Millenniummon, but she couldn't. She did say those words earlier, but it's not like she meant them…did she?

"You're finally realizing it Yolei," Millenniummon said with a dark chuckle. "You're becoming exactly like Ken, and you don't even need a Dark Spore."

"I…I can't be…" she gasped as she felt a tear run down her face from Millenniummon's verbal torture. The dark Digimon chuckled at Yolei's crying when a whistling sound suddenly caught his attention and two objects suddenly hit him in the chest, knocking him off his feet for a moment in an explosion. Standing back up, Millenniummon looked up to see Guardromon flying right for him with Kazu and Hawkmon on his back, his Grenade Destroyer firing repeatedly at who he knew was the enemy.

"Get away from her you vile fiend!" the machine Digimon yelled as he flew down. Millenniummon simply laughed, a dark portal opening behind him and allowing him to escape. Guardromon continued flying for Millenniummon, hoping to grab him before he could make it through the portal. Unfortunately, Millenniummon managed to enter the portal and it closed the moment he was through.

"Oh, dear!" Guardromon gasped, unable to stop his flight. The robot Digimon crashed into the ground and rolled around several times, Kazu and Hawkmon being thrown off and landing hard.

"Ow…my wing…" moaned Hawkmon.

"My everything…" Kazu moaned as well. Hawkmon groaned as he stood up, and gasped when he saw his partner tied up to the tree.

"Yolei!" Running over to her, Hawkmon raised his wings, slicing through the ropes with ease. Kazu came over to help Hawkmon untie Yolei while Guardromon stood back up and walked over to the three.

"Yolei, are you okay?" Kazu asked once Yolei was untied and sitting on a nearby log.

"Ye…yeah, I'm all right…" Yolei replied with a shaking smile. The look in her eyes seemed unconvincing however, and Kazu knew it.

"Yeah…I don't think you're all right," the visor-wearing Tamer said with a frown. "I highly doubt anybody can be all right after they're kidnapped by an evil Digimon, tied to a tree, and apparently having something done to them that causes them to cry."

"Yes, I highly doubt that as well," voiced Guardromon.

"Yolei…what happened between you and Millenniummon exactly?" Hawkmon asked with concern in his voice. Yolei fidgeted slightly on the log, the wind making her shiver slightly due to her pajamas.

"Please Yolei, I think it will make you much better if you tell us," Hawkmon urged his partner. "Just tell us. We'll listen."

"Yes, we will listen," said Guardromon, making Hawkmon look at him with a look of annoyance.

"I'd appreciate it if you did not repeat us."

"Eh, he does that a lot with me," Kazu said, sitting on the log next to Yolei. "So, what happened anyway?" Yolei was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Yuugure)

"Millenniummon…showed me Ken's past. He showed me how Ken was jealous of his brother Sam, and wished for him to go away."

"And he showed you Sam's death?" Kazu asked, getting a nod from Yolei.

"He did, and he said…he said that I'm no different from Ken," she shuddered as he remembered what he said, "and he said that I'm becoming like Ken without a Dark Spore because of what I said and did today…"

"Are you talking about our disastrous mission?" asked Guardromon. "I will admit, you definitely showed poor leadership skills."

"I don't need a reminder," Yolei said despondently. "And before Millenniummon grabbed me out of my room, I had an argument with my parents regarding the lack of attention I get in the house, and I may have said that wished I was the only child in my family…"

"Ouch," Kazu said with a pained expression.

"They probably hate me right now…" Yolei moaned, her hands covering her face.

"Yolei, I assure you that your family does not hate you," Hawkmon reassured his partner. "They do love you and they're worried right now about you."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, you may have accidentally exposed Hawkmon to your parents when you locked him out of your room," Kazu replied sheepishly. "I told your family about the Digimon, and they seem cool with it."

"Great," Yolei moaned again into her hands. "As if this day couldn't get any worse…"

"Yolei, your parents aren't mad at you," said Hawkmon. "I assure you…" Yolei simply sat on the log despondently, letting everything that had happened to her swirl through her head. Maybe Kazu and Millenniummon were right…maybe she was selfish and acted like this just so she could get attention…

"Why am I like this…?" she muttered sadly. "Maybe Kazu and Millenniummon are right…maybe I am selfish and I just crave attention…"

"Hey, come on…" Kazu moved closer to Yolei and wrapped an arm of comfort around her shoulders. "Don't be like that Yolei…"

"Why? Isn't that what you told me earlier today?"

"You're right, it is…" Kazu said with a sigh. "But Yolei…when I went all out on you earlier, I wasn't trying to insult you or make things worse for you…I didn't want you to make the same mistakes I made a while back…"

"A while back?" asked Yolei, looking at Kazu with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Well…" Kazu said, sighing with a frown on his face as he looked up at the sky, looking like he was thinking about something unpleasant. "It was three months before we came to your world. I had been frustrated with how I had been doing as a Tamer. I can't Biomerge with my partner like Takato, Henry, Rika and Ryo can, and while my skills with the card game are good, they're nothing compared to Rika's skills and Ryo's, and even Takato's improved in that field. And I don't exactly have brains like Henry's. I've usually always been an attention-seeker, and I usually draw attention by acting all brash and arrogant, and thinking I'm the best card game player…" The brown-haired boy let out a short laugh as he pulled off his visor and ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to do more as a Tamer, be recognized by everybody for being somebody else than the joker of the team…and then one day…"

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

 _Kazu looked down at the people of Shinjuku going about their daily business as he flew through the air on Guardromon's back. It was a beautiful day and Kokuwamon wanted to go out and fly around the city to enjoy the scenery. The visor-wearing Tamer also wanted to tag along as well so he could patrol the city for any possible Digimon threats, so he used a Digivolution card to Digivolve his partner to Champion level and was hanging on Guardromon's back as he flew. While the bronze robot was enjoying the view of the city below, Kazu was looking down with an almost-bored expression. Eventually, Guardromon landed on a nearby rooftop and the duo just sat on the edge of the roof, continuing to look down at the city._

 _"This area of Shinjuku seems very peaceful Kazu. I highly doubt a Digimon will attack here any time soon."_

 _"You sure about that Guardromon?" asked Kazu. "I think we should do a double-check…no, a triple-check of every area in this city, starting here!"_

 _"Hmm…well, I suppose so," Guardromon replied with a slight shrug. "Are you sure you want to do a triple-check, Kazu? That doesn't sound very much like you."_

 _"Hmm?" Kazu asked, lost in thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it doesn't sound much like me."_

 _"Then why do you want to do triple-checks?"_

 _"Well…" Kazu started as he looked down at the city again. The brown-haired boy was quiet for a while as he thought about what to say. He had been thinking about a lot about his status as a Digimon Tamer for several weeks now, and he supposed it was time he told someone about what was on his mind, and that somebody was his partner Digimon._

 _"Have you ever felt like…a fifth wheel, Guardromon?"_

 _"No, I believe I have not," Guardromon replied. "You see, I am a robot Digimon. I have never been a wheel. Those are used for vehicles, and I highly doubt a vehicle could drive on an odd number of wheels…"_

 _"It's an expression, doofus," Kazu sighed, remembering his partner's tendency to take expressions and orders literally. "I mean…I've been feeling like an odd one out of the rest of the team, like I don't belong."_

 _"Whatever do you mean by that?" Guardromon asked, his tone a mix between surprise and confusion._

 _"I mean, I feel like I haven't been taking this Tamer business seriously over the last couple of year," said Kazu. "Some of the Tamers didn't take this seriously at first, but now they do. But me…I feel like I haven't changed much. I still feel like, as Rika calls me, an annoying fan boy who takes situations too lightly."_

 _"I highly doubt that," voiced Guardromon._

 _"Is it?" asked Kazu. "Ever since you came back with the other Digimon, you and I have never had much luck against Digimon that show up in this world. You may be able to Digivolve to Ultimate, and I know a few card combinations, but they've never helped us out much, and it's usually the others that are able to take them out. I mean, we help out as well, but we never seem to be mentioned at all."_

 _"And you think it's all because you're not being serious, or you're not determined enough?"_

 _"Exactly," Kazu answered his partner with a sigh. "We need to be more determined…we need to take this more seriously. Maybe then we'll be able to win a fight by ourselves, and be recognized as a duo as strong as the other Tamers…"_

 _"Wait a minute…" Guardromon said suddenly, his eyes widening as he stared in the distance._

 _"Hey, what is it buddy?" Kazu asked, standing up and following Guardromon's gaze, looking out at the city ahead of them._

 _"Kazu…a Digimon is realizing…" Guardromon said, pointing in the distance. Kazu followed Guardromon's point to see that a white fog was appearing in the sky above a nearby area of Shinjuku._

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Zone Digital)_

 _"This is it…" Kazu gripped his D-Ark and stared at the Digital Field intently. Hearing his phone ring, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it._

 _"Hello?"_

 _"Kazu, it's Yamaki," the Hypnos director's voice spoke through the phone. "We've detected a Digital Field near you…"_

 _"Yeah, I can see it right above me," said Kazu. "I'm going in with Guardromon."_

 _"Don't!" Yamaki said. "The Digimon we're detecting seems to be a very powerful one. Wait for backup."_

 _"There's hardly any time for waiting!" Kazu said as he climbed on Guardromon's back. "The Digital Field is right above Shinjuku. If that Digimon gets out, he's going to cause a huge deal of damage. Guardromon and I are going to engage it. If the Digimon's an Ultimate level, then we'll be able to handle it."_

 _"You idiot!" barked Yamaki. "Don't fly in alone without knowing what the threat is! I'm calling in Rika, she's closest to you."_

 _"I can do this without the others!" Kazu said over Guardromon's roaring jets. "It's time I showed these Digimon my true strength!"_

 _"Kazu…!" Yamaki started before Kazu hung up, cutting off the Hypnos director midsentence._

 _"Let's go, Guardromon!"_

 _"Right-o!" Guardromon flew forward with Kazu on his back, the latter putting on a pair of dark glasses as the two flew into the Digital Field. Once they entered the white fog, a loud noise that sounded like a bird squawking penetrated their eardrums._

 _"Hmm…my audio receptors recognize that sound as some sort of bird call, but I do not know what kind of bird makes a sound like that."_

 _"That's because it's not an ordinary bird, Guardromon," Kazu said, pulling off his glasses and noticing a winged figure flying in the fog that was bigger than any bird he had ever seen. "Fly us in closer, and be careful. We don't want to let him know we're on to him." Guardromon nodded and flew closer until they could see the figure clearly. What they saw was a green bird Digimon that Kazu recognized instantly from the Digimon anime._

 _"No way…that's Parrotmon!" The visor-wearing boy pulled out his D-Ark and scanned the Digimon. "Parrotmon, an Ultimate level Giant Bird Digimon, Vaccine attribute. He's a mysterious, yet intelligent Digimon with powerful talons. His special attacks are Mjolnir Thunder, where he releases a blast of electricity from the feathers on his head, and Sonic Destroyer, where he flies at the speed of sound and releases a shock wave."_

 _"This could be problematic Kazu," said Guardromon. "I cannot fly in my Ultimate form, and I am a Virus attribute. Even with a wing card Parrotmon would still have a greater flying speed."_

 _"Then we'll have to ground him first," said Kazu. "Knock him out of the sky and keep him down. Then you'll be able to Digivolve and defeat him."_

 _"Well, what's keeping him from flying again?" asked Guardromon._

 _"Simple," Kazu eyed Parrotmon's green wings. "We'll have to take his wings out first. We can use the Digital Field to our advantage and launch a sneak attack from behind. We just have to destroy one of his wings and he won't be able to fly again."_

 _"Very well then!" Guardromon flew past Parrotmon and into the fog. The green bird Digimon, who was flying about aimlessly, stopped when he heard a small roaring noise that sounded like jets move past him. Turning his head, he did not notice anybody around him, but he could sense another Digimon in the fog. Good, some data for him to absorb. Parrotmon continued flying through the Digital Field, looking for the Digimon that he sensed. Suddenly, he saw a small shadowed figure flying about, and he knew it was the Digimon, and it looked like it had its back turned to him. This would be an easy kill for him._

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Action)_

 _"MJOLNIR THUNDER!" The lightning flew from Parrotmon's feathers and struck the Digimon, engulfing it in an explosion and destroying it. Parrotmon chuckled at the easy kill and flew forward to absorb the data…but he didn't feel it enter his body. The green bird was confused. He destroyed that Digimon. Why couldn't he absorb the data? Suddenly, something slammed into his back and exploded, fraying his wings. Before Parrotmon could steady himself, the unknown objects continued pelting his back, especially his wings. Because of his peripheral vision, Parrotmon's eye managed to catch who was attacking him from behind, and he was surprised to see that it was the Digimon he had just destroyed. How was that possible?! It didn't matter though, as he would get the Digimon this time._

 _"I'm getting his wings as best he can Kazu, but I think he's on to us!" said Guardromon as he continued firing his Grenade Destroyer at the Ultimate level. Parrotmon screeched angrily as he flew out of the missiles' way and soared for Guardromon._

 _"We'll have to blind him temporarily and finish his wings off with one strike!" said Kazu, pulling out two Digimon cards._

 _(Play Digimon: SLASH!)_

 _"We'll use this one first! DIGI-MODIFY! GESOMON ACTIVATE!"_

 _"DEADLY SHADE!" Guardromon's chest compartment opened up and spewed out black ink that splattered on Parrotmon's face and in his eyes. Parrotmon yelled in pain as he flailed his arms wildly in an attempt to strike down Guardromon, but the machine Digimon dodged the talons and flew behind Parrotmon again, thanks to a speed card from Kazu._

 _"This card will stop his flying!" Kazu slid another card through his D-Ark. "DIGI-MODIFY! TANKMON ACTIVATE!" Guardromon's head glowed before turning into Tankmon's barrel-shaped one._

 _"HYPER CANNON!" The giant bullet flew from the barrel and blasted Parrotmon's right wing, destroying it in a shower of feathers and data. Parrotmon let out another pained screech as he fell out of the sky and out of the Digital Field._

 _"All right Guardromon!" Kazu praised his partner. "We got him!"_

 _"Yes, but I highly doubt I've done enough damage to finish him off," said Guardromon. "And I don't think a fall from this height will be enough as well. Also, there's no telling where he's going to…"_

 _CRASH!_

 _"…Land," Guardromon finished, making Kazu wince at the sound of crunching asphalt and car alarms._

 _"Then take us down and let's finish this guy off!" Guardromon followed Kazu's instructions and flew out of the dissolving Digital Field, getting a view of Parrotmon. The bird Digimon had landed on a sidewalk and crushed several cars and streetlights. Despite being in pain, Parrotmon stood back up and screeched at Guardromon, the copper robot glaring back at the green bird._

 _"Kazu, I believe now would be a good time for a Blue Card," Guardromon voiced, landing on the ground and letting Kazu off his back._

 _"I got it," Kazu smirked, pulling out a card that began glowing blue, and slashed it through his D-Arc._

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"_

 _"GUARDROMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANDROMON!" The minute he Digivolved, Andromon charged for Parrotmon and landed a punch in his beak, sending him skidding back several feet and tearing up asphalt. Parrotmon screeched again and attempted his Sonic Destroyer, but as he only had one good wing, the sonic boom was not as devastating, and Andromon was merely sent skidding back before spinning his right hand rapidly._

 _"SPIRAL SWORD!" The energy blade hit Parrotmon in the chest, and the cyborg Digimon rammed into Parrotmon again, the two Digimon trading blows as people on the streets ran away from the fight so they wouldn't get hurt._

 _"Don't worry people!" Kazu reassured the civilians. "Andromon and I are going to cook this bird extra crispy!"_

 _"GATLING MISSILES!" The missiles soared from Andromon's chest and at Parrotmon, but the Ultimate level managed to smack the projectiles away with his remaining wing, sending them flying upwards and exploding, taking out a chunk of building and raining down bricks and broken glass._

 _"Oh, dear…" Andromon said, seeing the damage caused by his own inadvertent attack. The sound of screeching made Andromon look up and yell in surprise as Parrotmon advanced towards him and raised an arm to strike him. The cyborg managed to raise his hands up and grab the arm, forcing Parrotmon back._

 _"There has to be a card that can finish off Parrotmon," Kazu muttered as he looked through his deck. Looking back up at the fight, his eyes widened when he saw what was behind Parrotmon._

 _"Andromon! There's an electric power plant right behind Parrotmon! Force him there and electrocute him!"_

 _"If you say so!" Andromon grunted, stepping forward and forcing Parrotmon back further. With a strength card from Kazu, Andromon gave a mighty push and sent Parrotmon flying into the power plant. Electricity sparked and crackled from the wrecked power boxes and power lines as Parrotmon stood back up and glared at Guardromon and Kazu, the latter slashing another card through his D-Ark._

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! SHELLMON ACTIVATE!"_

 _"AQUA BLASTER!" The water flew from Andromon's hands and hit Parrotmon and the electric lines around him, causing the electricity to course through Parrotmon's body and making the bird Digimon screech in pain and anger._

 _"That's the way Andromon!" Kazu cheered. "I think we showed that bird and everybody what we can do together!" The boy's phone began ringing again, and Kazu fished it out of his pocket to hear a familiar voice._

 _"Kazu, it's Yamaki!"_

 _"Hey Yamaki. Don't worry about Parrotmon, he's an oversized Thanksgiving turkey now! I told you Andromon and I got it!" Kazu had turned away from Parrotmon and Andromon as he was talking on the phone. Had he not turned around, he would have noticed Parrotmon beginning to glow bright yellow._

 _"Uh, Kazu…?" Andromon called to his partner, who was still on the phone._

 _"Kazu, listen to me!" Yamaki barked through the phone. "We're getting a massive energy surge from Parrotmon!"_

 _"Energy surge?" Kazu asked, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean energy surge?" Turning back around, the visor-wearing boy's eyes widened when he saw Parrotmon's bright yellow figure growing several feet, and he could see the destroyed wing growing back._

 _"Oh, great…" Kazu groaned. "Don't tell me he's…"_

 _(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)_

 _The light around Parrotmon faded, and what Kazu and Andromon saw was not Parrotmon, but a bird Digimon that looked like a Parrotmon whose entire body, even his wings, was clad in golden armor, with black talons and a black head._

 _"He's Digivolved," said Yamaki. "Kazu, get out of there now. Andromon's not strong enough to face a Mega level Digimon, even with cards. Rika and Ryo are five minutes away."_

 _"Are you crazy?!" Kazu yelled as he watched the Digivolved Parrotmon spread his wings and take flight into the sky. "That's an Eaglemon, a strong Mega level Digimon! There's no telling what sort of damage he can do in five minutes! Andromon and I will hold him off, maybe destroy him! This is our chance to take out a Mega level Digimon!"_

 _"Kazu, don't be a fool!" Yamaki barked. "Do you even know if you have the right cards to take on a Mega level?"_

 _"I'm sure I do!" said Kazu. "I'm not sitting on the sidelines this time and letting the others finish what we started! This time, it's going to be me and Andromon taking down a Digimon!"_

 _"Kazu, disengage now!" Yamaki yelled before Kazu hung up again and pulled out an Aero Wing card from his pack._

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! AERO WING ACTIVATE!" The dragon-like wings sprouted from Andromon's back and the cyborg Digimon took flight after Eaglemon with Kazu on his back._

 _"So what information do you know about this Digimon, Kazu?" asked Andromon._

 _"He's Eaglemon, the Mega level of Parrotmon. He's still a Vaccine like you, and his armor is made out of Chrome Digizoid metal."_

 _"And his attacks?"_

 _"Kaiser Phoenix, which is basically him ramming us with his body, and Mystic Break, a white beam that turns targets to ash."_

 _"If his armor is Chrome Digizoid, then how do we break it?"_

 _"We break it the same way Zudomon did to MetalEtemon!" Kazu exclaimed, pulling out another card._

 _(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)_

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! THOR HAMMER ACTIVATE!" A light formed in Andromon's hands and solidified into a giant hammer resembling Zudomon's._

 _"Almost in range…" Andromon said, his eyes trailing Eaglemon. "Throwing now!" With a mighty grunt, Andromon threw the hammer like a boomerang at Eaglemon._

 _Hearing a whooshing noise behind him, Eaglemon turned to see the annoying Digimon from before and his human companion attacking him again, this time by throwing a hammer at him. But the golden bird would not fall easily again. Turning around in mid-flight, Eaglemon swatted the hammer away just when it was close to him, and the hammer plummeted to the ground below._

 _"Darn it!" cursed Kazu. "Let's try it again!"_

 _"Kazu, I think we need to move fast!" said Andromon, making Kazu look up to see Eaglemon fly down towards them at breakneck speed with a loud screech of, "KAISER PHOENIX!"_

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! HIGH-SPEED PLUG IN B!" Kazu quickly slashed the card through and Andromon flew out of the way at an even faster speed, leaving Eaglemon to plow into the ground below. But the Mega level was not fazed easily and he flew at Andromon again, slashing at him with his talons. The humanoid cyborg ducked and swerved around, being mindful to not let Kazu fall off his back._

 _"Our situation has not yet improved!" said Andromon. "Perhaps it would be best if we let the others handle this!"_

 _"No way, I think we got him ourselves!" said Kazu. "He's right in front of us. Let's hit him with the hammer again!" Kazu slashed the Thor Hammer card again, and Andromon received the heavy weapon again. Still powered up by the speed card, Andromon was able to dodge Eaglemon's attacks and he swung the hammer, connecting with Eaglemon's chest and forcing him back several feet. Kazu looked intently at where the hammer struck Eaglemon, and he saw several cracks on Eaglemon's chest._

 _"All right! We've cracked it open! Let's finish him off!" Andromon prepared to fire his Gatling Missiles, but before he could launch the missiles, Eaglemon charged forward with another Kaiser Phoenix. As the two Digimon were only twenty feet away, Andromon could barely move out of the way in time. Eaglemon's right hand did hit Andromon's arm, causing the cyborg Digimon and Kazu to spiral around in the sky before regaining his balance._

 _"I believe we may have angered him!" voiced Andromon._

 _"Then use the hammer again!" Kazu began to pull out the Thor Hammer card again when he looked up and noticed Eaglemon beginning to glow bright white. His eyes widened when he saw what that meant._

 _"Oh no, he's preparing his Mystic Break attack!"_

 _"MYSTIC BREAK!" Eaglemon spread his arms out and the laser beam flew from his body at Andromon and Kazu, but the latter thought fast._

 _"DIGI-MODIFY! BRAVE SHIELD ACTIVATE!" The familiar weapon of WarGreymon's appeared in Andromon's hands in place of the Thor Hammer and the white beam struck the shield, forcing Andromon back several feet._

 _"Don't let up Andromon! We've got him on the ropes!" Kazu shouted encouraging words to his partner, who moved the shield to the left, making Eaglemon's attack arc down and strike the ground. Seconds later, the glow around Eaglemon faded, but his beam continued tearing up the ground below, destroying cars and roads and making people run for safety._

 _"That's the way!" Kazu said, looking at Eaglemon breath heavy from the long fight. "Let's finish him off!"_

 _"Kazu, I think you should take a look down there!" Andromon said, his eyes widening in horror. Kazu followed Andromon's gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw what it was that scared Andromon. Eaglemon's attack, still going on, was coming near a preschool where Kazu could see several teachers evacuating the young students, but at the current speed of the attack, they would be too late to complete the evacuation._

 _"Oh, my god…" Kazu gasped at what he was seeing._

END FLASHBACK

"You destroyed a preschool?!" Yolei yelled in shock. "And children died because of your fight with Eaglemon?!"

"Hey, let me finish, would you?!" Kazu asked, not taking kindly to Yolei's interruption.

"Yes, would you please let him finish?" asked Guardromon, repeating his partner again. Kazu groaned and gave his partner a quick glare before continuing with his story.

"Yes, Eaglemon's attack was near a preschool, but…"

FLASHBACK

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

 _"Kazu, those people won't be able to get out in time!" Andromon exclaimed, seeing the attack inching closer towards the preschool. "And that fiend is still flying freely! What do you suggest we do?"_

 _'Aw man, what do I do now?!' Kazu thought. 'I can't let Eaglemon get away, but I can't let those kids die! Geez, this is not how I wanted it to go!'_

 _"Kazu, hurry up and tell me what to do!" Andromon yelled, forcing Kazu to make a decision._

 _"Leave Eaglemon for now. We need to hold off that beam!"_

 _"Roger that!" Swooping down fast, Andromon landed right between the preschool and the beam as Kazu pulled out the Brave Shield card again and provided Andromon with the weapon. Holding up the shield, Andromon planted his feet firmly in the ground, and the attack slammed into the shield, making Andromon slide back several feet. The cyborg grunted as he felt the effects of a strength card from Kazu give him extra power to hold back the beam. But it was not easy. He had been fighting for so long, he was beginning to feel his energy leave him, and Kazu's cards could only get him so far before he De-Digivolved._

 _"Kazu…I can't…hold on much longer…!"_

 _"You have to hold on just a little longer, pal!" said Kazu, watching the evacuation continue. "We've got this!"_

 _"KAISER PHOENIX!" Turning at the sound of the scream, Kazu's eyes widened when he saw Eaglemon flying down from the sky, his eyes set on the preschool and the human and Digimon that were foolish in thinking they could stop him._

 _"Damn it…this isn't how I was hoping this would go!" Kazu frantically searched for whatever card could help, but he could see Andromon was tiring out slowly over holding back a strong attack for so long, and any other card would drain him of whatever energy he had left._

 _'Not like this…' he thought as Eaglemon inched close and Andromon was pushed back further…_

 _"JUSTICE KICK!"_

 _The familiar yell rang through Kazu's ears, and the visor-wearing Tamer caused him to look up and see the figure of Justimon leap off a rooftop and slam his foot into Eaglemon's head, knocking him off to the side._

 _"SPIRIT STRIKE!" Four multicolored foxes soared through the sky and wrapped around the massive energy ball that was Eaglemon's attack, moving it away from Andromon's shield and destroying it in an explosion of lights and magic dust. Looking up, Kazu was created by another familiar Digimon._

 _(Play Digimon: One Vision)_

 _"Sakuyamon!"_

 _"Yamaki told us what was going on here, and he sounded pissed," Sakuyamon said, glaring at Kazu. "What could you have possibly been thinking?"_

 _"I was just doing…what I thought was right…" Kazu said, looking at Sakuyamon uneasily as Eaglemon grabbed Justimon and threw him to the ground, making his fellow Tamers turn their attention to him._

 _"Justimon, Eaglemon's chest was cracked open by a Thor Hammer that I used!" Andromon said, dropping to one knee due to his lack of energy. "Hit it with a strong attack!"_

 _"I got just the thing to crack it open!" Justimon said as he dodged Eaglemon's Mystic Break attack, which Sakuyamon stopped again with her foxes. Leaping off the side of a building, Justimon flew headfirst at Eaglemon, his right arm growing larger._

 _"THUNDERCLAP!" Justimon slammed his massive right arm into Eaglemon's broken chest, the cracks in the armor widening and revealing his chest. Not willing to let Eaglemon regain himself, Justimon transformed his arm into a massive gun._

 _"JUSTICE BURST!" The gun fired a volley of electric blasts that went through Eaglemon's chest, creating an explosion that sent Justimon and Eaglemon crashing to the ground. Justimon landed on his feet and watched as Eaglemon delivered one last screech before dissolving entirely._

 _"We finally got him," Kazu sighed as Andromon, Sakuyamon and Justimon reverted to their Rookie levels, and Ryo and Rika in the case of the two Mega Digimon. Once separated from Renamon, Rika stomped over to Kazu and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close to her and glaring at him heatedly._

 _"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TODAY BECAUSE OF YOU?!"_

 _"Wha…what?!" Kazu asked, feeling afraid in Rika's grip._

 _"Look around you Kazu," Ryo said angrily, gesturing to the city. "This is the result of your battle with Eaglemon today." Kazu looked at the area he was in and gasped at what he saw. Buildings everywhere had holes in them, the street was torn up, cars were crushed, and people everywhere were helping those that were injured or knocked out. Kazu then looked over at the preschool and saw the teachers trying to comfort the hysterical students, who were afraid of nearly dying. He couldn't believe his eyes. He could only stare in horror._

 _"I…I did this…?"_

END FLASHBACK

"Oh my god…" Yolei gasped in shock. "That's what really happened?"

"That's exactly what happened," Kazu said, running a hand through his face. "I pissed off a lot of people that day, and I got quite an earful from Yamaki. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry…"

FLASHBACK

 _"What the hell were you thinking?!" Yamaki yelled angrily at Kazu, who sat in front of him in his Hypnos office. "I told you to wait for reinforcements in case you couldn't handle the Digimon!"_

 _"But we almost had him!" said Kazu. "I don't understand how he was able to Digivolve."_

 _"Our scans showed that Parrotmon was able to become stronger through electricity," said Yamaki. "When Kokuwamon electrocuted him, it didn't kill him, it energized him enough to allow him to reach his final level, and it allowed him to cause more damage than what was caused originally. Yes, you did have him, but you didn't have enough information to properly engage him in combat. And you didn't bother to think about the damage that was caused in your battle today. It's a good thing that nobody died today because of your recklessness! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!" The blond haired man breathed through his nose and glared at the boy through his sunglasses. Kazu shivered slightly under Yamaki's intimidating glare before speaking up._

 _"Yamaki, looking back…you're right. I did cause a lot of damage, and I almost caused a lot of innocent people to die today. I promise I'll try to be more careful in the future, but what did you want me to do? I'm a Tamer as much as Rika and Ryo and the others. I was doing my part for the Tamers!"_

 _"Were you doing it for the Tamers, Kazu?" Yamaki asked in a dangerously low voice as he took off his sunglasses. "Or were you doing this just for yourself?"_

 _"W…what?" Kazu asked in shock._

 _"Whatever do you mean by that?!" Kokuwamon asked, crossing his arms and looking at Yamaki._

 _"I heard the way you were talking in our phone calls Kazu," said Yamaki. "You were saying things like 'this was your chance', 'you didn't want to stay on the sidelines', and 'this time, it would be you and Andromon finishing off the Digimon.'"_

 _"Well, yeah," said Kazu. "I'm getting a little tired of people seeing me as a joker Tamer who gets his ass handed to him in every battle. I'm sick and tired of it. I can be just as strong as the other Tamers, and I always give it whatever I have. I want people to recognize me for once."_

 _"And that's not a bad thing," said Yamaki. "I appreciate that you want to do more for your team, but sometimes…you can be egocentric, and it jeopardizes the fights you get into, it causes damage that you're not aware of until too late, and people nearly die, case in point being your fight today with Eaglemon."_

 _"Egocentric?!" Kazu asked in shock, receiving a nod from a still-glaring Yamaki._

 _"I believe Yamaki said you were thinking of yourself, with little to no regard for others…" Kokuwamon started until Kazu cut him off._

 _"I know what that means," Kazu cut off the robot Digimon before turning back to Yamaki. "Am…I really…"_

 _"You can be, unfortunately," Yamaki answered Kazu's question before it was finished. Kazu just looked upset over this._

 _(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)_

 _"But…I can't be…"_

 _"Kazu, you need to be honest with yourself and think about who you're really doing this for," said Yamaki. "That's all for now. You can leave." Kazu stayed where he was for a few minutes before leaving the Hypnos tower with Kokuwamon, Yamaki's words swirling in his mind._

END FLASHBACK

"That's why I tore into you like that earlier," Kazu said to Yolei. "The way you were acting during the battle, it was very much like I was back when I fought Eaglemon. I didn't want you to make the same mistakes that I made Yolei."

"Kazu…" Yolei said in awe, realizing what Kazu was telling her from his story. The lavender-haired girl began realizing how the way Kazu acted in the past was similar to how she acted earlier today. Both of them were stubborn in not knowing when to stop fighting because they felt they weren't doing enough for their teams and they both wanted to be acknowledged and have attention on them.

"Do you realize it now Yolei?" asked Kazu. "And please…be truly honest and tell me if you understand now."

Yolei stayed quiet for a few minutes as she looked at Kazu and thought over everything that had happened to her today from nearly being killed by Digimon, to being kidnapped and mentally tortured by Millenniummon, to Kazu's story, before answering with the truth.

"I think…I understand now Kazu."

"If you understand now Yolei, then perhaps we should return home now," said Hawkmon. "Your family is quite a little worried about your current whereabouts."

"Aw, man…" Yolei moaned, her hands covering her face. "My folks aren't going to let me hear the end of it…"

"They're just really worried about you Yolei," said Hawkmon. "They're hoping you're not hurt in any way. I assure you, when we return, your family will show you the love that you think they don't have for you."

Yolei nodded and began following Hawkmon back to the Digital Gate the bird Digimon came through with Kazu and Kokuwamon.

As Kazu walked behind the inheritor of Love with Kokuwamon, he thought about a talk he had with his teacher a week after his fight with Eaglemon.

FLASHBACK

 _Kazu sighed as he sat on the roof of the school, looking out at Shinjuku. A week had passed and the damages that had been caused by his fight with Eaglemon were being repaired slowly. Though he expected it would happen, it still hurt to be chewed out by the other Tamers for being impulsive and oblivious to the damage done. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that perhaps everything Yamaki said to him was true._

 _"Maybe Yamaki was right…" he muttered. "Maybe I really am selfish…"_

 _"Kazu, what are you doing out here?" The brown-haired boy turned to see his teacher, Nami Asaji, standing near the door to the roof entrance. "Class has started already."_

 _"Yeah, yeah…" Kazu sighed again, moving off the roof ledge and walking over to his teacher. "I'm coming…"_

 _"Is something wrong, Kazu?" Nami asked, seeing Kazu looking slightly depressed, which struck her as odd, as it was not like Kazu to seem down. "You don't look well…"_

 _"I've just been thinking lately…" Kazu said, leaning on the ledge of the roof. "Do you think I'm…egocentric?"_

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Akogare)_

 _"Egocentric?" Nami asked, surprised at Kazu's question. "What…what do you…"_

 _"Do you?" Kazu asked again, looking up at the young woman with a slightly piercing looking. Nami thought for a minute about her answer before responding to her student._

 _"Well…sometimes…you do come off like that, but…you're not always like that."_

 _"I wish I wasn't," Kazu said, looking out at the city again. "Lately, I've been disgusted with myself. Ever since last week, I've been wanting to change, but I don't know how to…"_

 _"Well…if you want my advice, maybe you should be honest with yourself, and I mean, really honest," said Nami. "For example, when I started teaching three years ago, I wasn't really all that motivated about it. I just wanted to look good for the community. But after a while, I began wondering if that's what I truly wanted. I was always debating about it, and then shortly after you and the others left for the Digital World, and showed that you changed, I looked at myself in a mirror and thought long and hard about my life." The young woman sighed as she walked over and leaned on the roof ledge, looking out at the city with Kazu._

 _"I decided to change myself since then, and now I face every class I teach with a purpose!"_

 _"And what's your purpose now?"_

 _"To help those I teach realize their mistakes and become better," said Nami. "Yes, you did act selfishly, but you were still doing something. That Digimon would have wrecked Shinjuku, and you were the only one that was able to fight him, and you did. Granted…it didn't go your way, but you still did something, and I'm being honest about it. You just need to be honest about that as well."_

 _Kazu didn't know how to explain it, but hearing his teacher tell him this somehow made him feel better, made him feel at peace with what he did._

 _"You know…you're right. I was being selfish, wanting all the credit and attention for defeating Eaglemon, and I didn't realize all the damage I did…but I still did something."_

 _"Though, it still doesn't excuse the damage that I caused, and that I was still selfish," Kazu continued, looking over to Nami. "I think it's time I started thinking less about myself, and more about others…and especially the city. It's time I started being a better person. Now the only question is how."_

 _"Well, you can start by coming to class," said Nami with a sigh. "Given how long we've been out here, I'm pretty sure math class is already done."_

 _"Great," Kazu sighed, following Nami back in the school. As he walked, Kazu made a silent vow to himself to better himself as a Tamer and as a human being in general._

END FLASHBACK

Kazu remembered giving a sincere apology to the Hypnos and the rest of the Tamers that day after school ended, coming to terms with his selfish desires and realizing it was not who he wanted to be, and it was not a change for the better.

Kazu also made a promise that would do his best to improve so another incident like Eaglemon didn't happen again, and he would also try to be less selfish as well. Several of the Tamers offered to help Kazu, and he accepted the offer. Since then the visor-wearing boy had become a better Tamer with more awareness of everything and everyone around him, and was more honest with his choices. This is what he wanted for Yolei, who was wincing from stepping on sticks and rocks barefoot, to do.

"Well, this is where we came through," said Hawkmon. Yolei nodded and raised her D-3 to open the gate, but hesitated, which Kazu picked up on quickly.

"What's wrong, Yolei?"

"I…I don't know if I can face my family," said Yolei. "Millenniummon…he said some things that were true. Sometimes, I am jealous of my siblings and sometimes, I just wish that they would go away so I can be in the center of attention. Sometimes…"

"Yolie, you can't just let Millenniummon's words get to you," said Kazu. "That's what those types of villains do. They get inside your head to mess with you and weaken you so it can be easier for them to finish you off. Maybe you said those things, but it's not like you meant them, did you?"

"Well…no…"

"Well, there you go," said Hawkmon, placing a hand on Yolei's leg. "Just because you said something doesn't necessarily mean that you meant it, and it doesn't mean you'll be hated for it."

"Yes, there's no need for worry," said Kokuwamon. "Shall we go back now?"

"All right," Yolei sighed, raising her D-3 and activating the Digital Gate that brought her back to her bedroom with Kazu, Hawkmon and Kokuwamon. Landing on the floor, Yolei looked around her room and saw her door was open ajar…with the door knob lying on the floor.

"Okay…why is the knob to my bedroom door on the floor?"

"Um, well…" Kazu chuckled sheepishly. "Kokuwamon…may have cut your door open since you locked it." Yolei's face dropped into a glare and she looked at Kokuwamon. Though the robot's face didn't show what his emotions, it was clear from the way he was backing away, he was nervous about dealing with Yolei right now.

"I sincerely apologize, but…"

"Forget it," Yolei huffed, her anger deflating fast. "I'll be angry later, but for right now…" Taking in a deep breath before releasing it, the lavender-haired girl walked out of her bedroom, where she saw her family sitting around the TV.

"Should we go out with her?" Kokuwamon asked, watching Hawkmon follow Yolei.

"No, let's stay back," replied Kazu. "This is personal."

"Yolei, you're back!" Chizuru gasped when she looked up and saw her sister standing near her bedroom door, causing her family to look up and see Yolei as well. The inheritor of Love frowned sadly as she slowly walked over to her family, numerous emotions running through her.

"Oh, Yolei! Thank goodness," Mrs. Inoue sighed in relief as Yolei sat down on the couch. "We were worried when Kazu told us you went into the Digital World."

"So…he really did tell you," Yolei muttered, looking down at her feet.

"Yes, well…it was after you locked me out of your room," said Hawkmon sheepishly, "and after I may have spoken in front of your parents."

"Agh…" Yolei groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "As of this day couldn't get any worse…" The lavender-haired girl was like this for several minutes before she felt a hand rubbing her back lightly and heard her father's voice near her.

"Yolei, it's all right. We're not angry with you at all, we've just been worried about your behavior as of late. We didn't know what you had been doing until Kazu told us earlier today."

"Why didn't you tell us the truth?" asked Mrs. Inoue. Yolei lifted her head out of her hands and looked over to her family, who looked insistent that Yolei tell them.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ne Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"I…I'm not really sure," said Yolei. "It's still a new experience for me and I guess I didn't really know how to tell you that I was going to another world to fight a whole bunch of monsters and stuff. I didn't know if you would believe me or let me do this…but I guess…I feel like I would have just been ignored as usual."

"Don't be ridiculous Yolei, we wouldn't have ignored you," Yolei's mother replied, "especially if it was something as important as this. We'd _never_ ignore you."

"You…you wouldn't?" Yolei asked in slight surprise.

"Of course not, squirt!" Mantarou said with a small chuckle, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "It may be hard to pay attention on one person for a while in this apartment, but with so many of us, that's to be expected."

"Don't think we don't love you, Yol," said Chizuru. "We may not show it like you think you want us to, but we really do love you and care for you."

"You really do?" asked Yolei, eyes widening slightly. "You really don't think I'm selfish?"

"Sometimes you could be, but you're human Yolei," said Momoe. "It's natural for us to all be selfish sometimes."

"But…my selfishness nearly got me and Cody killed today…and Kazu and Suzie…" Yolei lowered her head again, and she could feel her mother's hand in hers.

"Then the important thing you can do is learn from your mistake and see that something like that doesn't happen again," said her mother. "And I know you can do it because of your determination."

"She is correct Yolei," said Hawkmon. "Your determination to do something that you set your mind on is something I like about your peculiar personality. You're very determined and intelligent, and you have shown to be compassionate as well sometimes. It's just the way you were acting earlier today seemed very much unlike you and it worried me."

"I'm sorry," Yolei said remorsefully. "I just got frustrated with barely being noticed in such a large group."

"So you're in a large group, big deal!" said Chizuru. "Everybody has a part to play, Yolei. It's just a matter of time before you get your moment. You just have to be patient."

"Yeah, and like Hawkmon said, you're kind, determined, and you're a hell of a lot smarter than the rest of us in this house," said Mantarou. "It would make sense for you to have a Digimon partner and save the world."

"Okay, I think you're just embarrassing me now," Yolei chuckled softly, feeling her eyes water slightly from the praise.

"Well, we're your family, squirt," said Mantarou, ruffling Yolei's hair.

"We really do love you Yolei," said Mr. Inoue. "And we're sorry if we ever ignored you or doubted you. It was never intentional."

"I'm sorry as well," Yolei said, hugging both her parents, letting a couple of tears fall down her face. "I may have said some nasty things about you behind your back as well as in front of you, but I didn't mean them. I didn't mean them at all."

"We know Yolie," said Momoe, "and whatever we said about you that was rude…you know we don't mean that as well." Yolei couldn't help but laugh as she tried to hug everybody at once, but her arms could only stretch so far.

"Okay, take it easy!" the lavender-haired girl said with a laugh as Hawkmon chuckled at the scene. "I need these arms!"

"You know, this is truly a great moment," said Kokuwamon, getting everybody's attention to divert to the little robot, who was standing outside Yolei's room with Kazu. "A moment of healing and bonding for family…if I wasn't a robot, I could cry."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Comical Gag)

"You have cried before, doofus," Kazu groaned. "And way to go on ruining the moment!"

"Oops," Kokuwamon said with a nervous laugh as he looked over to the Inoue family. "Um…my apologies."

"Oh, let's just get out of here so we can let Yolei be with her family," Kazu sighed, pulling Kokuwamon to the door. "And maybe get a new doorknob for Yolei's room…" The duo walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind them, leaving Yolei alone with her Digimon partner and her family.

"You know, I'm really glad you guys are alright about this."

"We are," said Chizuru, looking down at the red bird before her. "It's just going to take some time to get used to Hawkmon here."

"Oh, you don't have to worry much about Hawkmon," Yolei bent down and rubbed her partner's head. "He's quite a gentleman."

"Does he have any cool stories for us?" asked Momoe.

"Well…" Hawkmon looked up at Yolei, who had a small smile of encouragement. "…We have a few."

* * *

"Damn…" Mantarou said after two hours of Yolei and Hawkmon telling her family the adventures they had been having in the Digital World over the last two months. "That's…a lot of stuff to happen in two months."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Yolei said with a sigh.

"Sad to hear about Ken Ichijouji," said Momoe. "Isn't he that guy you have a crazy crush on?"

"Yeah, I did…" Yolei sighed, "…but now, I'm not so sure. I don't know the first thing about him. I just had a crush on him because he was so smart…I'm not sure I know much about him now…"

"Well…since you're on the same team, maybe you could get to know him better after you save him from this Millen…what was his name again?" asked Mantarou.

"Millenniummon," answered Hawkmon.

"And you could also talk to people who know him well," said Mrs. Inoue. Yolei nodded a little before something came to her.

"Hey…is it all right if I go out? I…I think I need to talk to one of my friends…"

"Of course you can Yolei, but it's almost dinner," said Mr. Inoue. "Surely you want something to eat, don't you?"

"I'm not hungry right now," Yolei walked out of the apartment after slipping her shoes on. "But save some food for me when I get back!"

"Hold that door!" Hawkmon flew after and Yolei and managed to make it out in time before the door closed.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" asked Mantarou.

"I don't know," said Momoe, a small smile on her lips. "She can be weird sometimes…but it's not a bad thing at all."

* * *

"Okay…let's see how this works…" Jun muttered as she sat in her brother's room, typing away on the computer. The burgundy-haired girl had been sitting in front of Davis's computer for a while now, figuring out the password.

"Okay…let's see…Davis's password…um, soccer!" Jun typed in the word and hit Enter, only to see the words 'Sorry, but this password is incorrect' flash up on the screen.

"Hmm, so it's not soccer…okay, Digimon?" Jun typed in the new word, only to have the same result as before.

"Ramen noodles?" Incorrect again.

"Damn it!" Jun cursed, hitting her fist on the desk in frustration. "What is the password?" The burgundy-haired girl sighed as she leaned back in the chair. "How can I help out when I can't figure out what the password…is…" Jun trailed off when she saw a sticky note on the side of the computer that read seven names mushed together in one long word:

'kariveemonkenryotaisorajun.'

"Huh? What is this…" Jun reached out and pulled the sticky note off the computer, reading off the names. "Hmm…I wonder…" Placing the sticky note down, Jun typed the names into the password bar and pressed Enter. Instead of getting the 'Incorrect' response like she was expecting, Jun was surprised to see the screen pop up, saying the password was accepted. The screen showed multiple programs and a window to the Internet.

"Wow, it worked…" Jun blinked slightly as she looked at the sticky note with the names again. "Why does he have my name and the rest of these names as his password?"

"Because those are the people I really care about." Jun turned around in her chair, yelling in surprise when she saw her brother and Veemon standing over the threshold of the bedroom door.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"Davis! How…how long…"

"I've been here for several minutes," Davis answered, walking into the room with Veemon. "Mom and Dad not here?"

"Unfortunately, no," Jun said bitterly. "They're probably working again, or at a party with friends."

"You know, I've realized your parents aren't around much," said Veemon. "What is up with that?"

"Oh…that," Davis sighed. "They're always working a lot to support us, but most of the time, they're usually hanging out with their friends and not us. Sometimes, I wonder why they bothered having me and Jun if they don't bother with us. They think I'm stupid just because of my grades from the last couple years of school. But I've improved a lot. They just don't see it…plus I learn really fast, but I usually don't bother showing it."

"And they tell me to stop obsessing over boy bands when they don't see that I've been focusing a lot in school and have an idea of what I want to do with my future," Jun said sadly.

"Then maybe you should sit down with them and tell them about how you feel about this," said Veemon. "And I mean, really talk to them, make them see."

"I'm not sure about that, Veemon," said Jun. "Why do you think Davis and I can be so damn stubborn sometimes?"

"Ah…I see…" Veemon nodded, realizing what Jun was talking about.

"Still, maybe we should have a talk with them," said Davis. "I'm sick and tired of them ignoring us all the time."

"Yeah, me too…" Jun sighed. The Motomiya siblings and Veemon were quiet before Davis spoke again.

"By the way, Jun…why exactly are you on my computer?"

"Oh…well…" Jun said, slightly nervous. "I…I wanted to look up the map of the Digital World that you have on here."

"Why?" Davis asked, confused at Jun's answer.

"Because I want to help you and the others out in any way I can," Jun answered with a sigh. "Considering that all of you go into the Digital World on a daily basis, I think you need someone to give you extra help on the outside. Someone who's not a Digidestined, and someone that's in your age group."

"Really?" Davis asked in surprise. "You actually want to help us?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"Well, I don't have much else to do in my spare time, and it's boring being alone in the apartment," said Jun. "I may not be an expert in this sort of thing like Izzy and Yolei, but I know my computers well. I really want to help you and the others, Davis, and deep down…you know you need my help."

Davis was quiet for a while, thinking about Jun's offer. It sounded like she really did want to help, and ever since this whole thing began for him Jun had been supportive of him and offering her help in any way she could. And now he saw how much she truly wanted to help the Digidestined…and she truly meant it.

"I don't know, Jun. It might be…"

"What? Dangerous? A new experience that I'm unsuited for?" Jun asked with a scoff. "Davis, I'm your sister. Where do you think I get my stubborn streak from again? I can take care of myself, even if I don't have my own Digimon." The teenage girl leaned back in the chair and look at Davis with a raised eyebrow, making the boy breath deep and run a hand over his face.

"All right then. I suppose…we could use some extra help after all…"

"Thank you!" Jun squealed in delight, shooting out of the chair and squeezing Davis in a tight hug. "I promise I won't let you and the others down!"

"I know…you won't…" Davis gasped in his sister's embrace, which he returned. "I just hope you realize what you're getting yourself into. Once you get into this, there's no backing out. I'm telling you this right now because you are my sister, and I really do care about you. Why do you think I have you on my password?"

"Well…thanks," Jun said with a blush before getting back to the subject. "So…can you show me how the grid map works?"

"Well, I can show you what I know." Davis sat down next to Jun and began typing on the keyboard. "But you should really talk with Izzy and Henry. And Yolei as well. They're the real computer experts and they would know more about this than I do…"

 _DING!_

"Was that the door?" Veemon asked, hearing the dinging noise from outside.

"Yeah, it was," Davis answered, walking out of his bedroom and to the front door. Opening it, the burgundy-haired boy was surprised to see Yolei standing before him, wearing clothes that he thought were her pajamas, and Hawkmon riding on her back.

"Yolei? What are you doing here…and why are you wearing your pajamas?"

"I forgot to change, all right?" Yolei replied, though her voice didn't sound annoyed. Rather, it sounded tired. "Is it all right if we talk in private, you and me? There's something I need to tell you, as well as ask you."

"All right then. We can go up to the roof." Davis walked out the apartment as Yolei let Hawkmon off her back and into the apartment. Once Hawkmon was in, Davis closed the door behind him and led Yolei to the roof of his apartment building. Once there, Yolei immediately told Davis about her experience with Millenniummon today, making the younger leader's eyes bulge out greatly.

"You have no idea how bad it was," Yolei finished as she sat down on a nearby crate. "I didn't want to believe anything he was saying about me, but…"

"I know," Davis said, sitting down next to Yolei on the crate. "That's one of Millenniummon's . He gets inside your head and tells young things about yourself that you don't want to hear… because it's all true."

"He did the same thing with you when you fought him before, huh?" asked Yolei.

"And Ken and Ryo," sighed Davis. "He basically reached into our heads and told us our faults and he tried to break us that way, leave us unable to fight back against him." The burgundy-haired boy looked up with a steely look in his eyes. "But he made a big mistake doing that. By acknowledging that he was right about our faults and mistakes, we were able to become better people and fight back against him."

"Well, I think I may be doing that in a way," said Yolei. "After I got back home, I talked with my family about my problems, and I think it's a step in mending things with us, but…that doesn't mean he wasn't wrong about what I did in the Digital World today. I nearly got us killed…just because I wanted to prove myself. Maybe I'm not meant to lead…"

"Maybe you aren't," said Davis, "but there are other things you can do Yolei."

"Then why hasn't anyone noticed it yet in the Digidestined?" asked Yolei. "I want to be able to do something…"

"Well, you do know a few things with computers," said Davis. "And Izzy and Henry could definitely do with some extra help in that department. Even Jun is going to help out, but she doesn't know much about computers, and I figured our smartest could help her out."

"And you say I can help with that?" Yolei asked in surprise.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi Tatakai no Theme)

"I am," Davis said, his eyes showing a little truth. "You're definitely one of the brightest minds on our team, Yolei. We may not say it a lot, but we do mean it. Everybody on our team is valuable, and they all have their own part. Your part…just isn't meant to lead in battle. I'm not saying you and Hawkmon are incapable of fighting at all, we're all capable of fighting…but I think your greatest strength is with technology."

"Maybe you're right," Yolei admitted. "I'm really sorry about today, though. I just hope I can do better in the future than I did today."

"I know you will Yolei," Davis said with a smile, placing a hand on Yolei's shoulder for reassurance. "Don't let what Millenniummon said get to you and throw you off."

"I…I won't," Yolei said, nodding with a set look of determination on her face as she stood up. "Thank you, Davis…I guess I needed to hear something like that from a Digidestined, and not just a Tamer and my family."

"Hey, you can come to any of us and talk about anything that's bothering you," said Davis. "We're your friends Yolei."

"Thank you…" Yolei said again before thinking about something. "Actually…there is something I do want to talk with you about."

"Sure, what is it?" asked Davis.

"I want to know more about Ken," Yolei answered to Davis's surprise. "Do you think you could tell me more about him?"

"Uh…well, sure," Davis said as he led Yolei back to his apartment. "And maybe you could also help Jun out with the Digital World grid map."

"I would like to help with that…" Yolei said as she followed Davis, intent on starting a new part in her life…

(Play Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 21

 **I'm back, baby!**

 **Yeah, I know it's been a while since I last updated my story. Probably a month. I would have had this chapter done a lot sooner, but between the holidays, things being really busy at my job, writer's block and taking care of other stuff I haven't been able to finish this story faster. And I apologize to anyone who was impatient. My updates won't be frequent, but I promise this story is not dead and I will continue it. Hopefully, I'll have the story at the end of the Millenniummon arc, maybe the Dark Ocean mini-arc come March, then it will go on to the story arc with the two teams going to the Tamers dimension.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Yolei and Kazu were a little hard for me to write at first, because I don't think they really had much character development in the anime.**

 **In the next chapter, the team splits up again in the Digital World as Yolei finds the Digimental of Sincerity, and Suzie and Lopmon find themselves fighting Ninjamon in Little Edo (I think that was the name of the town from episode 15 of 02), and the Digidestined and Tamers find out something about some of the Digimon working for Millenniummon.**

 **Chapter 22: The Sincere Wind Blows! Shurimon!**


	22. Chapter 22: The Swift Warrior! Ninjamon!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Hello, my friends! I have finally returned after a long hiatus. Before we begin this chapter, I felt the need to address something about this chapter. I know that this was supposed to be the chapter where we would get Shurimon, but after a while typing this, I came to the conclusion that the following chapter would be much too long. I want to start trying to keep these chapters short, so it won't be so time-consuming for most of you to read such long chapters. A few chapters in the future will be longer than most for a special occasion. I promise you, the next chapter we will get Shurimon.**

 **Also, I am aware that my updates haven't been as frequent as before, but I have been distracted by other things, most notably watching the Internet show "Atop the Fourth Wall", hosted by Lewis Lovhaug, known better as Linkara, who reviews comic books. I'd advise you see his show when you can if you haven't. Linkara is very entertaining and funny in his reviews, and he also does storyline segments that are just as entertaining.**

 **I will begin to put more time into this story, as the announcement of the release date for the 20th Anniversary Digimon Adventure movie has just been made recently. The movie comes out next year, which makes no sense to me. If you want to celebrate the anniversary of a franchise, shouldn't it be on the year said anniversary takes place (2019) instead of a complete year after (2020)?**

 **Anyway, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter, and I promise, Chapter 23 will be out very soon, hopefully before my birthday in two weeks.**

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Avant)

Kidnapping Yolei and taking her to the Digital World, Millenniummon verbally and mentall tortured her by showing her Ken's tragic past and showing her past displays of selfishness and uncaring to others. Though Yolei was dejected, Kazu, Davis and Yolei's family convinced her to be honest with herself and get past her selfishness and not be someone else, just herself. Taking this advice to heart, Yolei now plans to face her future with honesty…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Swift Warrior! Ninjamon!

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

Millenniummon smiled sadistically as he looked down at a Japanese-style village from his perch on an Airdramon. For the last few hours after mentally torturing Yolei, the mad Digimon resumed his conquest of various areas of the Digital World. However, he was no longer taking over every area he laid eyes on, but only in areas that he felt would prove beneficial for him in giving the Digidestined and the Tamers trouble. By doing so, he would be able to continue his other plan without distraction.

"I managed to find one of the two Digimon that remain," Millenniummon said to himself as he continued flying over the village. "But the other one will be most difficult to find. And knowing those children, they'll be close to finding my base soon. I must slow them down long enough…and this village will provide me the Digimon to do so."

"What about me, Lord Millenniummon?" The dark Digimon turned his head to the Digimon riding on Airdramon with him. Standing behind him was a small round Digimon with his top half covered in a red scarf. Chain armor was worn over his arms and legs, and a small sword was strapped to his back. "I imagine you will need me here as well?"

"I do, Ninjamon," replied Millenniummon. "I am counting on you and the Digimon I have chosen to take care of the Digidestined and the Tamers should they come here."

"I will not fail you, Lord Millenniummon," Ninjamon stated with a bow before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Oh, you will Ninjamon," Millenniummon whispered with a chuckle. "I'm excited to see how it happens, quite frankly…" Raising his hand in the air, Millenniummon snapped his fingers, and a rumbling sound echoed throughout the village. Moments later, a Control Spire appeared in the middle of the village, inciting panic among the Digimon residing in the village.

"Yes…scream, you little fools, and become part of my army!" Millenniummon laughed maniacally as Dark Rings fell from the top of the Spire and began claiming Digimon. Satisfied with his work, Millenniummon beckoned the Airdramon to take him back to his base so he could continue his search.

* * *

"All right guys, thanks for coming," Davis said, looking at everybody in the warehouse. Another day of school had just finished, and the Digidestined and the Tamers were meeting once again. The burgundy-haired boy looked around to see Cody, TK, Kari, Takato, Suzie, Rika, Jeri, Ai, Mako, Joe, Matt, Tai, and Sora sitting in front of him, their Digimon with them. Izzy and Henry sat by him with Jun, a computer in front of them open.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" asked TK.

"Obviously, the usual stuff of destroying Control Spires, but we need to do more than that," said Davis. "We have to track down Millenniummon's base, and I mean it when I say we have to _really_ find it. Last night that maniac actually got into Yolei's bedroom when she was home."

"He WHAT?!" yelled everybody, except Jun.

"Is Yolei all right?!" Cody asked, concern for his friend taking over.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"She's fine," Davis assured his friends. "Millenniummon was using scare tactics on her, and it shook her up a bit."

"Good God," Sora muttered in fear. "To think Yolei was that close to death…"

"What's to stop him from doing the same thing to us?!" Jeri asked, fear coursing through her as well."

"Knowing Millenniummon, he's just trying to scare us and not kill us," said Gatomon. "He'd find killing us in our homes boring, even with his ability to travel through time…limited as it is in Ken's body."

"No…he would want to finish us off in a grand fight, but not without rattling us first," Veemon said with narrowed eyes. "This is his M.O."

"Still, to think he managed to get in Yolei's room…" Kari said, looking around to notice the absence of the lavender-haired girl. Perhaps after what happened last night, Yolei needed some time to herself.

"Millenniummon is obviously planning something big, but there's no telling what it is," said Lopmon.

"Well, whatever it is, it doesn't look like it involves the Control Spires so much," Izzy said, showing the grid map to everybody in the room. "There's not many Control Spires being put up now. Granted, some areas are still being turned black, but not so much when it was just Ken. In fact, only one area was claimed last night." The combined teams looked at the screen to see a blinking red square, indicating a new Control Spire's construction.

"And…that's a good thing, right?" asked Davis. "I mean, the Control Spires mess up the barriers between our worlds, so Millenniummon not putting up Control Spires everywhere means the barriers won't keep getting messed up, right?"

"Maybe, but there's no telling how badly messed up the barriers are by now," said Henry. "This may be a good thing, since he's not putting up Control Spires consistently, only in a few areas, but it's also a bad thing."

"He's probably only focusing now on areas with massive numbers of powerful Digimon," said Izzy. "And what's more, the Dark Spirals don't need to be powered up by Control Spires."

"Plus, Millenniummon can Digivolve any Digimon that serve him now with Calumon, if he so wished," added Renamon.

"We can't keep doing the usual pattern of going to the Digital World, spending a few hours a day destroying the Control Spires, and then return home when we're done," said Tai. "The only way we can truly stop Millenniummon and save our friends is to go to the Digital World…and stay there until we're done."

"What?" Cody and Davis asked in surprise.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)

"Tai's right," said Matt. "With how serious things have been turning, we have to step it up. This is something we should have done from the beginning."

"I agree," said Takato. "We have the means, the strength and numbers to fight back against Millenniummon and finish him off for good. But we won't be able to finish him off if we keep going home every night. Bottom line, we set up shop in the Digital World, and we stay there until our work there is done."

"Well said, goggle-head," said Rika. "The sooner we do that, the better."

"How will that be possible?" asked Cody. "There's no telling where we can operate from in the Digital World, and our families could be worried if we don't come home."

"Well, our families know about the Digimon, and they understand," said Tai, referring to himself and the older Digidestined. "And the Tamers are all right, since they're not really from our dimension."

"And our families back home know what's going on, and they understand as well," said Henry.

"Plus, Yolei told her family about the Digimon last night after her confrontation with Millenniummon," added Davis, "and they seem cool about it." He then looked over to his sister. "And even though my sister and Cody's grandfather know about Digimon, I think it would be best if everybody else in our families, that being my parents and Cody's mother, know as well."

"In that case, I propose that we spend the next couple of days telling our families what we plan on doing regarding the Digital World, as well as find our own base of operations in the Digital World," said Izzy. "Once we have everything arranged, we leave for the Digital World."

"And we don't come back until we're done," said Davis. "Are we clear on that?"

"Agreed," voiced everybody.

"I have a question, though," said Suzie. "If we're all going to be in the Digital World, who exactly will be helping us out from here, since Izzy and Henry will be with us?"

"Jun will," Davis answered, gesturing to his sister, who waved to the rest of the team before returning to looking at the computer screen. "She wants to help us out more, and I figured she could serve as tech support from Odaiba."

"And what exactly does the female Tai know about computers?" asked Impmon.

"Female Tai?" asked Tai, an incredulous look on his face. Behind him, Matt, Kari, Sora and Agumon snickered at Impmon's remark.

"Well, you do have the same hairstyle," answered Impmon. "Do you go to the same barber?"

"If we can get back to matters at hand…" Gatomon said, though she was smirking as well.

"I had Yolei show her most of the Digital grid map last night," answered Davis, getting back on subject. "And before you guys came in, Izzy and Henry showed her the rest of the works, so she pretty much has everything memorized."

"So, with that being said, where are we going today, and what teams will be splitting up into today?" asked Takato.

"If I may make a suggestion…" Jun piped up, getting everybody's attention. "While you were all talking about what you plan on doing in the next few days, I got some sort of distress signal from a place called…" the burgundy-haired girl paused to look at the map for verification. "…Little…Edo."

"Little Edo?" asked Kari. "What's that?"

"I know what it is!" said Takato. "It was a settlement in the Digital World that was seen in the show. Little Edo's houses and structure is similar to Japan from the Edo period."

"I guess that would explain the name…" Izzy muttered. "Jun, who sent the signal?"

"Uh, let's see…" Jun looked at the screen again to see the receiver's name. "A…Gekomon. The message says, 'Digidestined, please come if you are able to get this message. The Digimon Emperor has placed a Control Spire in our village and has sent several Digimon to overtake it. Please help us again as you have before in the past.'"

"Again?!" Tai asked in surprise. "That means the message came from our Gekomon friends!"

"Good grief, can't those guys catch a break?!" asked Gomamon. "I mean, seriously! What is it with evil Digimon picking on the Gekomon?!"

"That's the way it is with dark Digimon Gomamon," Elecmon said gravelly. "They enjoy picking on those who can't defend themselves, like the Gekomon."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Adventure Heart ~Daisuke no Theme #2~)

"Well, if the Gekomon need our help again, then I'm going!" said Davis. "Ai, Mako, Rika, Kari, Suzie, Cody, TK! You're with me."

"We'll take our own areas as well," said Tai. "I'll take Matt, Izzy and Henry. Sora, Jeri, and Joe, you're with Takato."

"I gotcha, Tai!" Takato stated, holding up his D-Ark.

"Hang on a second, we're several people short!" said Terriermon. "Where are Kazu and Kenta at?"

"Yeah, and where's Yolei?" asked Cody. "And Mimi?"

"They…have their own thing going on right now," said Davis. "Yolei was still a little shaken up from her confrontation with Millenniummon last night, and she really regretted her actions during our missions yesterday, so she didn't feel like seeing everybody right now. So, Mimi and Kazu decided to take her around some Control Spire-free areas in the Digital World, and Kenta tagged along."

"Speaking of Yolei, we're not going to have worry about another…incident regarding her, are we?" asked Suzie.

"I doubt it," said Davis. "When I talked with Yolei last night, she seemed to really regret her actions. Plus, she also had a talk with Kazu that made her realize her mistakes."

"I wouldn't be all that surprised," said Takato. "An incident similar to Yolei's incident yesterday happened to Kazu three months ago in our dimension. It really made Kazu grow up a little and mature."

"So hopefully, Kazu managed to talk some sense in Yolei," voiced Rika.

"Well, it sounded like he did," piped up Veemon. "Anyway, we should probably get going now. The Gekomon and the Otamamon need our help!"

"You're right, Veemon!" Davis agreed, pulling out his D-3. "Jun, open up the Digital Gate program."

"Already done," Jun responded, turning the computer around so everybody was looking at it. "Just say the words!"

"Digital Gate, open!" At Davis's command, the Digital Gate opened, allowing the burgundy-haired boy and his team to go through the gate. Moments later, Takato and Henry performed the same action, allowing their own teams to enter the Digital World.

"Good luck, guys…" Jun whispered to herself, slight worry for her brother and friends overcoming her.

* * *

In Little Edo, a lone Gekomon ran down the streets as fast as his little legs could carry him to the palace where his sleeping lord resided. He had not expected Millenniummon to get this far in the Digital World, but now a Control Spire stood in the city of the village. Gekomon had already managed to send a message to his old friends the Digidestined, and now he needed to inform ShogunGekomon.

"Lord ShogunGekomon!" Gekomon yelled, entering the palace and running into the room where the giant red frog slept. "Lord ShogunGekomon, please wake up! We have a very terrible situation! Wake up! It's an emergency!"

"E…mer…gen…cy?" ShogunGekomon groaned, yellow eyes opening slowly. "What…"

"Millenniummon! He's placed a Control Spire in our village!"

"HE DID WHAT?!" ShogunGekomon roared, now fully awake and sitting up. The red frog pulled a purple rope near him, opening up the ceiling above him and Gekomon. The bed rose up in the air, giving ShogunGekomon a better view of the village…and the Control Spire in the distance.

"I don't believe it!" ShogunGekomon panicked. "This means he has managed to get this far! How could this have happened?!"

"I don't know, but it's just like the one from the Night Forest!" Gekomon replied, looking at the Control Spire through a telescope.

"The Night Forest?!" ShogunGekomon yelled, remembering that day. "Darn it all! Can't these evil Digimon just leave us alone already?!" Gekomon had no answer, as he looked out at the Control Spire with fear and apprehension.

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Sweet Innocent ~Mimi no Theme~)

In another area in the Digital World, Yolei, Mimi, Kazu and Kenta were walking around with their partners, taking in the beauty of everything around them. The area they were in was a lush valley with trees around it, and in the middle of it was a moon-shaped lake. Yolei sighed deeply as she walked around. After all the crazy stuff that had been happening to her the last few days, especially yesterday, she needed to take a small break away from it all, with Kazu and Mimi agreeing with her, and Kenta agreeing as well.

"I must say…this area's very luscious," Hawkmon said, breathing in the fresh air.

"You said it," Palmon agreed, her feet buried in the ground to absorb nutrients. "It's been a while since I've buried my roots in soil this good! And it's a good thing too, because I was getting really hungry!"

"Speaking of hungry, is there any chance we can get something to eat?" asked Betamon. "I'm starving here!"

"Yes, some food wouldn't be much of a problem at all," said Hawkmon.

"Agh, I knew I should have packed some more snacks," said Yolei, holding her own stomach. "I'm getting hungry as well."

"Same here," said Mimi, with Kenta agreeing as well while Kazu walked off from the group. Kokuwamon said nothing, as his robotic nature meant he was unable to become hungry. "I wonder if there's any safe food nearby that we can eat…"

"We don't have to worry about finding food!" Kazu called out from the ledge on a nearby cliff. "Because I just found a good place to eat!"

"Where?" Yolei asked, walking over with the rest of the group. Once they reached the cliff ledge, Kazu pointed down below, and everybody's gaze went down to see a small white building near the lake.

"Right there," answered Kazu. "It's a restaurant."

"Oh, great!" Mimi said in relief. "And I think we can be able to pay for whatever we eat, if we pool it all together."

"Then let's go!" said Yolei, who was already running down the hill with Hawkmon, Betamon and Palmon.

"Hey, wait for me!" Mimi called, following close by. Kazu, Kenta and Kokuwamon followed at a slower pace so the two boys could talk to each other.

"Kazu, is that…"

"Yep, that's Digitamamon's diner," Kazu said with a nod and a small smile. "After everything that went down yesterday with Yolei, I think it's time."

"So, how is this going to work?" asked Kenta. "Will it be the same or…"

"We just have to wait and see," Kazu answered before picking up the pace to catch up with Mimi and Yolei. As the group reached the restaurant, they could hear crashing noises and loud screams from inside, making them stop short.

"Okay, that doesn't sound good at all," Palmon observed.

"Yes," said Hawkmon. "Perhaps it would be best if we find somewhere else for us to eat…"

"AND STAY OUT!" an angry voice yelled from inside the restaurant. A second later, the doors flew open, and two Digimon, one looking like a stuffed doll with a pumpkin-shaped head, and the other looking like a giant flesh ball with facial hair and sunglasses, were sent flying out of the restaurant by a black mass that made them crash on the ground. A third Digimon, who was about as tall as Hawkmon, Palmon and Kokuwamon, and looked like a giant white egg with yellow eyes peeking out of a crack in the middle and two green legs jutting out from underneath, stomped out of the restaurant with his eyes lowered in a glare.

"The next time you two want to get wasted and wreck everything you see, don't do it in my place!"

"Aw, thhaddup!" the flesh ball Digimon, known as Nanimon, said with slurred speech. The small Digimon staggered to his feet. "You juthht…are no fun…"

"Yeah!" said the pumkin-headed Digimon, known as Pumpkinmon. Like Nanimon, Pumpkinmon was staggering on his feet, his speech was slurred, and a strong odor from the two of them. "That thake…isth…stho…good!"

"Yeah, another round!" Nanimon spun around as he raised his finger in the air, before collapsing.

"You two have had enough!" said the egg-shaped Digimon. "Now get out of here!"

"All right, all right!" Pumpkinmon said, walking away clumsily, Nanimon following close by.

"Rotten little ingrates…" the egg Digimon grumbled as he walked back into the restaurant. Yolei looked at the scene with slight worry.

"Um…maybe we _should_ find somewhere else to eat. If that's the owner, I don't think I want to eat at his restaurant."

"Relax, it doesn't seem that bad," said Kenta. "Pumpkinmon and Nanimon were obviously drunk and they made a mess in Digitamamon's diner. Digitamamon just did what any other restaurant owner would do."

"Yeah," said Kazu. "Jeri's dad owns a restaurant, and I've seen him deal with several drunkards like that when they're really being uncooperative."

"Did you say Digitamamon?" asked Mimi, a finger on her cheek as she was trying to recall something. "I think I've heard that name before…"

"Maybe you heard it from Matt and Joe," Kazu suggested, making Mimi remember.

"Oh! That's right, Joe told me about him! Digitamamon was a Digimon who owned a restaurant, and he was a bit of a rotten egg…pardon the pun."

"Wait, this Digitamamon is a bad guy?" Yolei asked, looking at the restaurant warily.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"From what Joe told me, yes," said Mimi. "During our first adventures in the Digital World, we ended up separating at one point when Tai disappeared after our fight with Etemon, and Joe ended up here." Mimi gestured to the restaurant.

"Yeah, I remember that," said Kazu. "Old egghead was taking bribes from Myotismon's lackey DemiDevimon to keep Joe working for a long time, and he also did the same for Matt when Matt showed up here."

"I see," Yolei said, an uneasy look on her face. "In that case, let me repeat what I said before: Perhaps it would be best to eat somewhere else than at a restaurant that's owned by a bad guy."

"Yolei, relax," said Kazu. "I highly doubt Digitamamon's that bad anymore. We just have to make sure we have the proper money, or he gets mad."

"What's the proper money?" asked Yolei.

"I think it was American money, from what Joe told me," said Mimi, "but maybe we should ask him what kind of money he takes before we eat here. If he takes Japanese yen now, then we can eat here. If he doesn't, then we'll leave."

"Well, all right," Yolei said reluctantly, and the group of eight walked into the restaurant, where they saw Digitamamon grumbling angrily to himself as he looked over several wrecked chairs and tables.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Umin-chu)

"Stupid, rotten little…I swear I…"

"Excuse me!" Mimi called out to get Digitamamon's attention. The white-egged Digimon turned around, and blinked in surprise at the new patrons in his restaurant before speaking.

"Oh! Hello there! I take it you're here to eat?"

"Well, sort of," said Kenta. "What currency to you take?"

"Pardon?" asked Digitamamon.

"Money," replied Kokuwamon. "What money do you take?"

"Oh! That!" Digitamamon said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, I take American money, but after a, well…an incident four years ago, I started taking Japanese yen as well."

"Okay, because we have Japanese yen, and there's no telling if it was any good," said Kazu.

"Well, it's good here," said Digitamamon, "as long as you have enough to pay for whatever you're eating."

"I think we do," said Mimi.

"Then sit down!" Digitamamon said cheerfully, gesturing to some non-damaged booths. "These booths are still intact."

"Thank you," everybody said, though Yolei was still uneasy about Digitamamon, given what she was just told about him moments ago. Kazu and Kenta took one booth for themselves, Kokuwamon and Betamon, while Mimi and Yolei claimed their own for themselves, Palmon and Hawkmon.

'He doesn't seem that bad, I guess…' she thought as she looked at the menu in front of her. 'And the food that he has on these menus doesn't look bad. Still, I feel uneasy about this…'

* * *

In the village of Little Edo, a television set that rested on the porch of a house glowed brightly, spitting out eight children and seven Digimon, all of whom managed to land on their feet.

"Well, that certainly went better than the last few trips," Impmon said. "At least I don't have anybody's shoulders digging in my sensitive areas."

"Yeah, considering the number of times we've been going through the Digital Gate now, we can definitely expect this sort of thing and not end up in a big pile," said Patamon.

"So, this is Little Edo," Veemon said, looking around the village.

"It really does look like an old Japanese village," Cody said as he saw something in the distance that was very familiar, "and there's the Control Spire over there!"

"Millenniummon really has taken this area," Davis said gravelly, before getting a determined look in his eyes. "But not for long. Let's go, guys!"

"Hold it," Renamon's voice cut through the air. The yellow fox stood rigid, her head turning sharply from left to right with her eyes narrowed.

"Renamon, what is it?" asked Armadillomon. Renamon said nothing for a moment before looking down at Armadillomon and speaking with an ominous tone in her voice.

"We are not alone…I sense Digimon in all directions…"

"Yeah, I can feel it as well," said Impmon, eyes narrowed as well. Lopmon nodded, sensing danger coming close.

"Okay, where are…" Davis began to ask, when he saw numerous pairs of red eyes peeking out from barrels, houses, and even a small lake nearby. "Uh oh…" After a few tense moments, a number of Floramon and Mushroomon, all of them wearing Dark Rings, burst out of their hiding spots and surrounded the Digidestined and Tamers.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"This is Millenniummon's forces?" asked Suzie skeptically. "Rookie level Digimon?!"

"They may be Rookies, but their numbers are great," said Gatomon. "Don't take them lightly!"

"We usually don't!" said Rika. "Renamon, get ready to Digivolve!" The red-haired girl began to pull out her Digivolution card when the Floramon and Mushroomon began attacking.

"RAIN OF POLLEN!"

"FUNGUS CRUSHER!"

"Incoming!" Lopmon warned, seeing the cloud of pollen and the soaring mushrooms fly towards her and the others. At the close proximity, it would be nigh-impossible for them to dodge the incoming attacks. Fortunately, Impmon acted much faster.

"PILLAR OF FIRE!" As Impmon raised his arms in the air, the ground around the Digidestined and Tamers cracked open, making a wall of fire appear around them for protection, making the pollen burn away to nothingness and the mushrooms to explode harmlessly. The Floramon and Mushroomon closest to the children backed away from the flames, careful not to get burned.

"Now would be a good time to Digivolve!" said Impmon. "I can't hold this fire barrier all day!"

"We're on it!" Davis immediately pulled out his D3 and D-Terminal. "Veemon, let's Armor Digivolve!"

"I'm on it, Davis!"

"Patamon, Digivolve normally!" said TK. "Angemon will be able to move around better than Pegasusmon!"

"Here we go!" said Suzie.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!"

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!"

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…BLAZING COURAGE, FLAMEDRAMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEMON!"

"Now, Impmon!" At Gatomon's word, Impmon dropped his arms, making the barrier of fire dissipate and allowing the Digivolved Digimon to strike at the Floramon and Mushroomon, who yelled in surprise at the sudden attacks.

"Digmon, Turuiemon! Get to the Control Spire and wreck it!" Davis called out. "We've got these guys here!"

"We got it!" said Suzie, settling in Turuiemon's arms before the rabbit Digimon began leaping and jumping for the black tower.

"Don't worry Davis, you can count on us!" Cody called from his place on Digmon's back as the yellow insect Digimon took flight. As the two Digimon advanced for the Control Spire, their actions were watched closely by Ninjamon, hidden in plain sight thanks to camouflage.

'I think not, children!' the red-clothed Digimon thought to himself as he snuck behind closely.

* * *

"We're coming up close on the Control Spire!" Turuiemon said after a few minutes of jumping on buildings and avoiding Digimon attacks. The rabbit's sharp eyesight and hearing enabled her to avoid any incoming threats on her, despite having her partner in her arms, and was also able to slice through several Dark Rings with one hand whenever she saw an enslaved Digimon on the same rooftop as her. Likewise, Digmon and Cody provided air support, the former shooting his Gold Rush attack at large groups of Digimon and making them run off.

"I have to say, this may be one of the easiest Control Spires we've had to get so far!" said Digmon, landing in front of the black tower with Turuiemon. Cody slid off his partner's back and looked up at the tower with Suzie.

"That is true…" Cody said, a little uneasy about Digmon's statement. "The Digimon we've encountered so far here aren't inherently strong…"

"Do you think something's not right about this?" asked Suzie, realizing Cody's suspicions.

"Yeah…" Cody said, looking around the surrounding area carefully, Turuiemon mimicking his actions. "I think there may be a very strong Digimon somewhere around here…"

Turuiemon knew Cody was right about another Digimon being here. Though it wasn't a strong Digimon, she could sense that the Digimon around here could prove a problem…

And then she saw it. It was fast, but her eyes managed to catch a flash of red and black, as well a something shining off the sunlight and moving fast…

"GET DOWN!" The martial artist ran forward, pushing Cody and Suzie to the ground and covering them with her body. A swishing sound was heard from overhead, followed by a thunk.

"Turuiemon, what was that about?" Suzie asked her partner once Turuiemon moved off her and Cody. Turuiemon said nothing, but merely pointed to something behind them. Turning around, Cody and Suzie were surprised to see a sharp metal object with four points lodged on a house porch.

"A giant shuriken?" asked Cody. "Where did that come from?"

"That would be me!" Looking up to where they heard the voice, Cody and Suzie's eyes fell on a piece of tree bark, actually a blanket, being flung away, revealing Ninjamon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"I'm impressed," the small Digimon said with a chuckle, leaping on a rooftop. "Not many people are able to evade my deadly shuriken. You might just be a worthy opponent, Turuiemon."

"Who the heck are you?!" asked Digimon. Ninjamon merely smirked at the insect Digimon, and Suzie answered Digmon's question by looking up their attacker with her D-Arc.

"Ninjamon. Mutant type Vaccine Digimon, Champion level. He's a master of espionage, and is skilled in the ways of Iga-style ninjutsu. His special attack, Ninja Knife Throwing, is a giant shuriken."

"So, you know of me!" Ninjamon said as he disappeared in a blur of red, appearing a split second later between the Control Spire and the two children. "And Lord Millenniummon has told me about you, Digidestined…and Digimon Tamer."

"We're flattered," said Suzie. "Cody, take care of the Control Spire. This guy seems to want a piece of Turuiemon, so we'll give him it and break his Dark Ring off."

"That sounds like a good plan, but there's a small problem with that," said Ninjamon.

"Yeah, and what's that?" asked Digmon.

"What made you think I was wearing a Dark Ring?" Ninjamon asked with a smirk, making his four opponents back up slightly and take a better look at him. Now that they did, they noticed that while Ninjamon's eyes were red, they were a natural color, and not the blood red color that indicated a Dark Ring on him. And looking closer…

"He doesn't have a Dark Ring on him!" Cody gasped in shock. "But…why is he working for Millenniummon if he's not being controlled?"

"You naïve little boy," Ninjamon chuckled again. "Do you really think all Digimon are good-hearted and can be controlled by darkness? Of course not! Some of us actually agree with Millenniummon's views on the Digital World, and we work with him of our own free will."

"But why?" Cody asked again, shocked at this revelation.

"Well, some of us can make a little money from working with Millenniummon, while others want a little power of their own. As for me, Lord Millenniummon told me that the Digidestined and the Tamers could provide me with a worthy battle."

(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Action)

"I think you'll find me to be a worthy battle!" Turuiemon declared, leaping up in the air. "NINJA FIST!" The purple rabbit shot down like a rocket, her fist aimed for Ninjamon. At the last second, Ninjamon vanished in a puff of smoke, causing Turuiemon to hit only the ground.

"Where did he go?!" Digmon asked, his drills aiming in different directions.

"Don't worry about him, Digmon!" said Turuiemon. "I'll take care of Ninjamon! Go for the Control Spire, now!"

"NINJA KNIFE THROWING!" Ninjamon's voice rang out and another giant shuriken flew in, slicing Digmon in the chest and knocking him on his back with a yell.

"AGH!"

"Digmon!" Cody yelled in concern.

"I'm all right, Cody!" Digmon insisted, standing back up and showing the scratch on his chest. "My armor was able to take the brunt of it!"

"Let's see our well your armor holds out against this!" Ninjamon declared, appearing again in front of Digimon and Turuiemon and bringing his hands together. "IGA-STYLE SHADOW CLONE!" The next thing the two Digimon knew, eleven more Ninjamon appeared, surrounding them in a circle and running around.

"IGA-STYLE SWORD DRAW!" The twelve Ninjamon drew their swords out, and began attacking Digmon and Turuiemon, slashing at them at fast speeds.

"Come on!" said Suzie, not pleased with this. "I don't need this now!"

"We have to find a way to keep Ninjamon's attention on Turuiemon so Digmon can take out the Spire," said Cody, "and we need to find it fast!"

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"FLAMING FIST!" Flamedramon leapt into the air and punched his arms out rapidly, raining fireballs down on the Floramon and Mushroomon. The plant Digimon yelled in pain from the fire attack and collapsed, their Dark Rings shattering. Despite the large number of Rookie level Digimon, the more experienced Digimon partners were able to hold their own with ease.

"SUMMON…ICE!"

"HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!"

Impmon and Angemon were teaming up their attacks, the former freezing attacking Digimon with his ice attacks, strengthened by his partners, and the latter blasting them away with his energy attack while smacking those that got too close with his staff. Nearby, Gatomon engaged others in hand-to-hand combat, knocking them down with her Lightning Paw and shattering Dark Rings by smacking them with her tail ring.

"RAIN OF POLLEN!" Gatomon turned around at the voice to see a Floramon charging for her, but the white cat stood still and glared at her, her blue eyes flashing violet.

"CAT'S EYE HYPNOTISM!" The Floramon stopped when she saw the glowing eyes and held her arms up in the air, causing the pollen to fly in the air and fall on top of her.

"I quit…" Floramon said, suddenly feeling tired. "I'm so tired…time for a nap."

"FOX TAIL INFERNO!" With help from a Targeting card slashed by Rika, Kyubimon was able to control the fireballs from her tails with better ease than usual, careful to only hit the enslaved Digimon and free them from the Dark Rings, and also careful to not hit any of the buildings or her friends.

"It's going good, guys!" Davis said when he heard angry yelling. Turning around, the burgundy-haired boy yelled in surprise seeing more Floramon and Mushroomon running towards them.

"Damn it! Where are all these guys coming from?!" asked Impmon.

"Davis, let's switch it up!" Flamedramon said, reverting to Veemon.

"All right!" said Davis, turning to the twin Tamers. "Ai, Mako! Digivolve Impmon!"

"We're ready!" Ai said, D-Arc and card in hand.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Here we go!" said Davis. "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…THUNDERING FRIENDSHIP, RAIDRAMON!"

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"IMPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WIZARDMON!"

"Combine your electric attacks!" Davis called out. Raidramon and Wizardmon nodded as the former's lightning-shaped horn began crackling with electricity, and the latter's staff began charging up with magic lightning.

"Now!" said Wizardmon. "THUNDER CLOUD!"

"LIGHTNING BLADE!"

The two electric-based attacks flew forward and combined, creating a giant ball of electricity that collided with the brainwashed Digimon. The lightning arced throughout all the Dark Rings, overloading them and making them explode, freeing the Floramon and Mushroomon.

"Nice work!" Raidramon complimented Wizardmon. "Not a scratch on us so far, huh?"

"Don't get cocky!" called out Kyubimon, who smacked a Floramon away with her tails. "There's still more of them!"

"What's taking Cody and Suzie so long?!" Mako asked, looking at the distant black tower.

* * *

"IGA-STYLE SWORD DRAW!" Ninjamon and his copies, still running circles around Digmon and Turuiemon, continued slashing away at the two Digimon, forcing them on their knees.

"Digmon, are you okay?!" Cody called out.

"Yeah, but I don't think…I can hold out…much longer!" said Digmon.

"Suzie, I think we need to even things up!" Turuiemon said, deflecting several strikes with her clawed gauntlets.

"Yeah, you're right," Suzie replied, pulling out two cards, "and these two should give us the edge! DIGI-MODIFY! ALIAS ACTIVATE!" With the swipe of the first card, a second Turuiemon appeared right next to the first one, and began striking back at the Ninjamon duplicates.

"And for the next trick…" Suzie swiped the second card through. "DIGI-MODIFY! HIGH-SPEED PLUG-IN B!" The next thing anyone knew, the two Turuiemons began moving at fast speeds, intercepting the twelve Ninjamon duplicates and slicing through them. Eleven of the clones fell to the ground in piles of straw and torn cloth, with the real one being knocked to the ground.

"Your duplicates won't be able to help you out, Ninjamon!" Turuiemon declared, her duplicate fading away once it fulfilled its purpose.

"Perhaps, but regardless, I believe you'll still find me a challenge!" Ninjamon said, drawing his sword and charging for Turuiemon. The two Digimon leapt into the air and began engaging in a tense fight. Ninjamon threw a few jabs at Turuiemon with his sword, but Turuiemon countered each strike with her claws before swinging her leg around and sending Ninjamon down to a roof with a kick.

"NINJA KNIFE THROWING!" Ninjamon threw another shuriken that Turuiemon deflected with a kick before landing on the rooftop, her claws creating sparks with every strike it made with Ninjamon's sword.

"You fight well, Turuiemon, but do not think you can defeat me easily. I am one of Lord Millenniummon's most skilled assassins!"

"Big whoop!" Suzie called out. "My partner is a Deva, a servant of the Digimon Sovereigns!"

"What?!" Ninjamon exclaimed in surprise. Turuiemon capitalized on the distraction, forcing Ninjamon back with a push before delivering her Ninja Fist, knocking him to the ground with a mighty punch.

"Digmon, don't just stand there!" Turuiemon yelled to the insect Digimon, who was watching the ninja battle in slight awe. "Destroy the Control Spire!"

"Oh! Right!" Digmon yelped, coming back to his senses and turning to the Control Spire. "ROCK CRACKING!" The ground split open in front of the Control Spire, causing the black tower to sway slightly and fall into the crevice, electricity arcing from it.

"GOLD RUSH!" The drills flew forward and slammed into the already-damaged Control Spire, which exploded in a shower of black debris.

"Good work Digmon, that Spire's done for!" Cody praised his partner.

"Yeah, but Ninjamon's another story!" Digmon pointed out, seeing Ninjamon and Turuiemon continue their battle on the rooftops.

"NINJA KNIFE THROWING!" Another shuriken was thrown by Ninjamon, but Turuiemon had picked up Ninjamon's pattern now: Strike first with the sword before finishing off the opponent with a shuriken. Knowing this now, the Deva Digimon knocked the shuriken aside with her claws and jumped towards Ninjamon, raining down punches, kicks and scratches at the small Digimon. Ninjamon attempted to defend himself, but Turuiemon was now pressing on the offense, especially with another speed card from Suzie.

"NINJA CLAW!" Turuiemon's claws flashed brightly in the sunlight as they swung out and made contact with Ninjamon's sword, breaking it in half and knocking Ninjamon flat on the ground.

"G-guh…" Ninjamon groaned as he looked up to see Turuiemon descending on him, claws stretched out.

"It's over for you, Ninjamon!" Turuiemon yelled as she raised her claws, ready to deliver the final blow…

"STOP!" Cody's yell rang throughout the area, causing Turuiemon to stop from attacking and look at the young boy in shock and confusion.

"What?!"

"Cody, what are you doing?!" Suzie asked, seeing Cody's face of fear and anger.

"Turuiemon was going to kill Ninjamon!" said Cody. "You saw what she was doing, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, and I wasn't going to stop her!" said Suzie. "If he's a servant of Millenniummon, then he has to die!"

"But…we just can't!" Cody said, slightly appalled at killing another living thing, even if they were evil.

"Your compassion for all living beings makes you weak, boy!" Ninjamon spat, regaining his strength and jumping away from Turuiemon. "This was a duel just between the two of us, and you had no right interfering! Mark my words, I will be back, and this will be finished, Turuiemon!"

"Get back here!" Turuiemon ran for Ninjamon with Digmon following, but Ninjamon threw a pellet on the ground in front of him, creating a smokescreen that allowed him to evade capture easily.

"Where did he go?!" asked a perplexed Digmon once the smoke dissipated.

"He got away," said Turuiemon. "And it's highly possible that he's no longer in this village."

"Darn it all, Cody!" Suzie yelled at the boy in anger. "Now look what you've done!" Cody gaped at Suzie in shock and prepared to retort when the rest of the group came running up.

"Hey guys! Good work on destroying the Control Spire!" said Davis.

"That's another area saved from Millenniummon, I guess," Patamon chirped from his place on TK's head.

"Not really," Lopmon said gravelly. "The Control Spire may be destroyed, but the danger has not subsided yet."

"Lopmon, what are you talking about?" asked Renamon. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, something happened," said Suzie. "We got attacked by a Ninjamon that wasn't wearing a Dark Ring or Dark Spiral. He was working for Millenniummon of his own free will, and he also said that Millenniummon has other Digimon working for him of their own free will. Turuiemon and I were very close to destroying him, but Cody stuck his nose in at the last second, and Ninjamon managed to escape!"

"But…I didn't…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"Yes, you did!" Suzie interrupted Cody. "Turuiemon could have finished off Ninjamon, but you just had to butt in because 'We can't destroy any Digimon at all!' Now Ninjamon will probably bring back even stronger Digimon to raze the village with! How much more damage will be done until you realize some lives have to be taken to save others?! Your father was a police officer, so I thought you could understand that. But clearly, I was wrong." Cody stiffened at Suzie's last remark about his father, and went completely numb, unable to say anything.

"Suzie!" Rika scolded the young girl. "What were you thinking, saying that?!"

"Yeah!" yelled Impmon. "I may insult people a lot, but even I wouldn't go that far!"

"All right, let's calm down!" said Gatomon. "If what Suzie and Lopmon said is true, and Ninjamon is coming back with reinforcements, then we have to prepare for this. Let's see if we can contact the others."

"I already did," said Davis. "But both Tai and Takato's teams are busy. They won't be here for a while."

"Well, maybe if we talked to some of the Digimon around here…" Kari started before a voice rang through the air.

"Digidestined! Thank you, thank you for helping us again!" Turning around, the group saw a Gekomon run up to them with a look of ecstasy on his face. "You freed our village from Millenniummon!"

"Hey, it was nothing Gekomon," said TK. "We're glad to always help you out, but I don't think we're out of danger just yet."

"Well, at least the Control Spire and the Dark Rings are destroyed," said Gekomon. "Now the rest of us can come out of the palace where ShogunGekomon is. Those that were lucky to evade the Dark Rings are holed up in there."

"Hey Gekomon, can you take us to the castle so we can talk to ShogunGekomon?" asked Davis.

"Of course!" Gekomon replied. "Come this way!" As the green frog Digimon led the Digidestined and the Tamers to the palace, Rika looked back to see Suzie looking annoyed, and the red-haired girl was equally annoyed as well. Cody also looked hurt and confused over what Suzie said, and Davis noticed as well.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"So you're the Digidestined," ShogunGekomon said once the children and the Digimon partners were brought before him in his throne room. "I would like to thank you. You have definitely done much for my Gekomon and Otamamon in the past, as well as myself. You have come to our aid before, and it is a relief for you to come to our aid again. I have feared that Millenniummon would come to my kingdom ever since I heard of his return and replacing the Digimon Emperor as a great threat, but I didn't think it would be this soon."

"Do you know where Millenniummon could possibly have gone to after putting a Control Spire here?" asked Davis.

"No, I'm afraid not…" said ShogunGekomon. "He came in the dead of night while all of us were sleeping."

"Another dead end…great…" Veemon muttered.

"Maybe not," said Cody. "Ninjamon escaped and he's coming back with more Digimon to attack the village. If we're able to capture Ninjamon, he might tell us where Millenniummon is."

"He's coming back?!" an Otamamon yelped in shock. "Oh no!"

"I don't want to be a slave again, especially to a psycho like Millenniummon!" a Gekomon cried, tears in his eyes. "Lord ShogunGekomon, what should we do?!"

"At a time like this, I say…" ShogunGekomon grunted to himself, obviously thinking of something with an uneasy expression. Finally, the answer came to him: "We sleep!" The Digidestined and the Tamers could only stare in disbelief as ShogunGekomon dropped on his side and began snoring loudly.

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!" yelled Rika, Davis and Impmon, clearly unhappy with the answer.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kyodai Kuukan)

"The Control Spire…was destroyed?" Millenniummon asked, looking down at Ninjamon with a dark glare. "How did this happen, Ninjamon? I expected better from you. You're said to be one of the most skilled warriors in the Digital World!"

"I…I apologize for my failure…Lord Millenniummon," Ninjamon said, looking up at his master with a nervous expression. "But the Turuiemon partnered to one of the Tamers was extremely tough for me. From what her partner said, she was…a Deva…a servant of the Digimon Sovereigns."

"A Deva, you say?" Millenniummon asked, his anger fading and being replaced with interest. "Ah, yes…I remember now. The Devas are powerful Digimon at the Ultimate level."

"Ultimate level?" asked a confused Ninjamon. "But I only faced her when she was at the Champion level."

"Clearly the reason for that is because you were also at the Champion level, and she wanted to fight you on even ground."

"If that is the case Lord Millenniummon, then she may be worthy after all for me to fight," said Ninjamon. "Please, give me another chance. Let me return to the village. I promise you by the end of the day the village will be destroyed, ShogunGekomon will be under your command, and you will have several less Digidestined to worry about. And I ask that you give me the strength to Digivolve to the Ultimate level, and the Deva will fight me with all her strength then."

"Hmm…" Millenniummon said nothing as he stroked his chin with his hand, deep in thought. After what seemed like an eternity, when it was only a minute, the dark Digimon finally spoke again. "Very well Ninjamon. I shall grant you your request. You should consider yourself lucky that you are being given a second chance. I am not so lenient with other Digimon."

"So, you'll give me the power to Digivolve?" Ninjamon asked in a hopeful tone.

"I shall, but you must get me ShogunGekomon first." Raising his hand, a swirl of dark smoke appeared in Millenniummon's hand before solidifying into a Dark Spiral, which he handed to Ninjamon. "Place this Dark Spiral on ShogunGekomon first, and only then will I provide you the strength to fight the Deva."

"Thank you, Lord Millenniummon," Ninjamon said with a deep bow. "It shall be done."

"And bring Blossomon with you as well," said Millenniummon. "She has been itching for a fight."

"Yes, Lord Millenniummon," Ninjamon said before vanishing in a blur of red. Once he was alone, Millenniummon walked back to his monitor room. After several minutes of searching, he finally found who he was looking for: There, in Little Edo sitting in a room with her partner Lopmon, was Suzie.

"So, this is the one who is partnered to a Deva…" Millenniummon chuckled as he watched the footage. "She could very well be a good one…"

(Play Digimon: Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END CHAPTER 22


	23. Chapter 23: The Sincere Wind Blows!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Avant)

The Digidestined and Tamers have split up in the Digital World, with Davis's team going to aid the Gekomon in the village of Little Edo, where they confronted the warrior Ninjamon, working for Millenniummon of his own will. Ninjamon escaped, and is preparing to return stronger than before. Meanwhile, Yolei and a few others have gone to have a day of relaxation, but the peace won't last long…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

The Sincere Wind Blows! Shurimon!

(Play Digimon Tamers: Umin-chu)

"Wow…" Yolei said with a sigh, relaxing in the booth she was in with Mimi, Palmon and Hawkmon, while eating a bowl of chicken alfredo that she ordered. "I have to admit, this restaurant is quite luxurious, I'll admit. And this food's not bad, either."

"Yeah, it is pretty good," Kazu said from the booth he was in with Kenta, Kokuwamon and Betamon. "The breadsticks may be a little too soft, but it's still good." While the boys continued eating their lunch in silence, the girls continued talking to each other.

"So Yolei…have you been doing better since yesterday?" Mimi asked, looking up from her shrimp fried rice.

"Yeah, I am a little better," said Yolei. "I just wish I could smack Millenniummon around for what he's done…but then I'm forced to remind myself that he could kill me with a simple thought, and I'm just left with being angry…"

"Yeah, Millenniummon has a tendency to do that," said Mimi.

"But I feel like I am at peace a little with my family," said Yolei. "I've been honest with them ever since last night, and I feel like things are better now with us."

"That's good to know," said Mimi, "but how are you in general?"

"Honestly…" Yolei sighed, "I may be a little better, but I'm still a bit of a mess. After what happened yesterday, I've been a little scared out of my mind of facing Millenniummon again and his minions. I do want to still help, but…"

"But what?" asked Mimi. "You're saying you don't want to fight again?"

"No, it's not that," said Yolei. "I know I have to fight, but I don't want to fight unless it's a very important fight."

"Yolei, I know how you feel, but as of now, every fight we'll be having will be important fights. You have to be very honest with yourself if you do want to fight or not," Mimi replied firmly. Yolei remained silent and looked down at the food on her plate, letting things mull over in her head.

"Well, we're done," Kazu said, standing up from the booth with Kenta and their Digimon partners. "You girls going to keep talking, or are you finished?"

"Yeah, we're done," Yolei replied, getting out of the booth. "Hey waiter! Check, please!"

"Hold on a minute!" Digitamamon called from the kitchen. "I'm the only one here, you know. Geez!" A moment later, the giant egg Digimon walked out of the kitchen and behind the counter, where Yolei was at. "Okay, your total is…" Digitamamon muttered to himself as he looked down at the cash register. "eighty-seven in total."

"Eighty-seven?!" Yolei asked in surprise as she checked her purse. "I don't have that much money on me!"

"What?! I thought you said you had enough to pay!" Digitamamon said angrily. "You're not trying to pull a fast one on me, are you?!"

"No, she isn't," said Kazu. "All of us put together have enough to pay. Yolei, how much is in your purse?"

"Uh…twenty-five," Yolei said, checking her purse again.

"I've got twenty myself," said Kenta. "What about you Kazu, Mimi?"

"I have twenty-five myself," said Kazu. "That makes it seventy. Mimi, do you have enough?"

"Yeah," Mimi said, digging in her own purse. "Throw in my own twenty, and that's eighty-seven, plus three for a tip."

"Good!" Digitamamon said, sounding slightly cheerful again. "Thank you for your patronage, and come back when you can."

"We will," said Mimi. "You know, it's nice to see you be a nice guy…sort of. I heard about you from my friends, Matt and Joe."

"Ah…yes, those two," Digitamamon said, suddenly deflating slightly.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"Yeah, from what Mimi and Kazu told me, you were a bit of a money-hungry jackass who kept Joe and Matt here because you were being paid," Yolei said, making Digitamamon glare at her.

"I don't need you to remind me!" the egg Digimon snapped bitterly. "Besides, you think I had much of a choice back then? I knew who DemiDevimon was, and I knew the power Myotismon possessed. Anybody who crossed him would die instantly. So, I did what I had to do." Digitamamon's eyes then dropped down to a sad expression. "And then the Dark Masters began tearing things up, and my restaurant wasn't even immune to the damage being done."

"Yeah, I remember seeing this place before," said Mimi, looking around the restaurant. "Joe and I used it as a hiding place for a while with Leomon and Ogremon."

(Play Digimon Adventure: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni…)

"I was one of the few Digimon that managed to survive the slaughter and stay in hiding," Digitamamon continued, looking down. "Ever since they were defeated, I decided to make an honest living." He sighed sadly. "I don't like thinking of those days at all. And now we have Millenniummon back…"

"Hey, don't worry!" Mimi assured Digitamamon, a cheerful expression on her face. "That's all in the past now! You've been making an honest living over the last four years, and you've definitely been doing good at it."

"Yeah, just keep it up!" Kazu added while Kenta nodded.

"Well…thank you," Digitamamon said, sincerely. "It's encouraging to hear you say that…unlike certain people who don't understand me." The egg Digimon gave a quick glare to Yolei, who suddenly looked a little guilty of what she said to Digitamamon earlier.

"It's not like that at all!" Kenta insisted, knowing what Digitamamon was talking about. "Yolei…tends to judge people based on first impressions."

"Yeah, just because some people don't understand you, it doesn't mean you should stop believing in yourself," Mimi continued.

"You are right…I should keep believing in myself, even if some people don't," said Digitamamon. Yolei just looked guilty and confused. Digitamamon sounded like he meant it when he said he wanted to make an honest living, but his past as an enemy of the old Digidestined made her slightly suspicious of him.

"Well, if we're all fed now, perhaps we should depart…" Hawkmon began until the sound of an explosion was heard from outside, and the restaurant began shaking like crazy.

"What is that?!" yelled Hawkmon.

"My sensors indicate two Digimon signals coming from the forest across the lake!" said Kokuwamon. "And they appear to be very powerful!"

"Outside, now!" Kazu ran out the restaurant with Kokuwamon right by his side. The rest of the group were close by as they heard the explosions and tremors continue towards them.

"Be ready for anything guys," Kazu cautioned, D-Arc in one hand and Digimon card in the other. Kenta, Mimi and Yolei pulled out their own devices and their partners prepared to Digivolve. Across the lake, the trees were destroyed in an explosion of fire. A small figure walked out of the fire, revealed to be a small red Digimon with a silver helmet and a clawed gauntlet on his right hand. His left arm was a metal blaster, smoking pouring out of the barrel.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata no Teki)

"That little guy is the cause of those powerful explosions?!" Mimi asked, seeing the cause of the attack.

"It's MetalMamemon!" said Kenta. "He's an Ultimate level Digimon, said to be the strongest of the Mamemon-species!"

"Then you'll have to go Ultimate as well, Palmon!" Mimi said, getting a nod from Palmon. "And we better hurry, he looks like he's getting ready to attack!" This was true, as MetalMamemon had was aiming his cannon arm right at the four humans, and it was slowly charging up with energy.

"Ultimate level…" Yolei said, looking at MetalMamemon in worry. "What could I do against him?"

"Yolei, don't worry, I'll be all right," said Hawkmon. Yolei looked down at her partner, and then her D-3, wondering if she could be able to fight.

"Hey, wait a minute, it's just one Digimon," said Palmon, noticing MetalMamemon still charging up his weapon. "Kokuwamon, didn't you say there were two Digimon?"

"Yes, and I can still sense it," said Kokuwamon. "But I don't exactly…know…" the robot trailed off as he looked at the ground in front of them, his posture suddenly slacking in panic. "Get back! He's…" the ground suddenly began shaking like crazy, causing everybody to be thrown off their feet by the tremors. The ground suddenly split open, revealing a giant brown Digimon resembling a minotaur, his left arm encased in a drill-like object.

"What is that?!" yelled Yolei.

"That's Minotarumon!" said Kazu. "He's Ultimate level like MetalMamemon as well! We have to Digivolve our Digimon, now!"

"DARKSIDE QUAKE!" Minotarumon slammed his drill arm into the ground, which began shaking again like crazy. The four kids yelled as the tremors, stronger than last time, struck them and knocked them off their feet, causing their Digivices and D-Arks to fall out of their hands.

"Finish them, MetalMamemon!" Minotarumon roared to the Digimon across the lake. "Lord Millenniummon commands you to do so!" MetalMamemon said nothing as he fired the massive red energy orb that had been building up for the last minute.

"Gotta…get…D-Ark!" Kazu grunted, struggling amongst Minotarumon's tremors to get his D-Ark and power up Kokuwamon before the orb struck.

"I don't think so!" a voice rang out. Digitamamon leaped out of his diner and towards MetalMamemon's attack, drawing his legs in his shell and covering his eyes. The blast struck Digitamamon, who was sent flying into Minotarumon. The beast Digimon roared as he was struck in the face. His arm was dislodged from the ground, ceasing the earthquakes.

"Insolent pest! You shall pay for your interference!" Minotarumon snarled and kicked Digitamamon, sending him flying far into the forest.

"Digitamamon?!" Yolei asked in shock over what she just saw. "He…he protected us! But…but why?"

"Perhaps he really does have a change of heart," Hawkmon said, making Yolei look confused and guilty.

'Maybe I was a little hard on him…'

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"KOKUWAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANDROMON!"

"PALMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TOGEMON!"

"TOGEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…LILLYMON!"

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"BETAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…DOLPHMON!"

Taking advantage of Minotarumon and MetalMamemon being distracted, Kazu, Kenta and Mimi quickly Digivolved their partners, Andromon charging for Minotarumon and knocking him off his feet with a powerful punch, Lillymon flying for MetalMamemon and firing her Flower Cannon, and Dolphmon leaping into the water.

"I don't see a Dark Spiral on Minotarumon!" Andromon said as he backed away from Minotarumon's fist and looked up and down on the beast's Digimon.

"MetalMamemon has one, though," Lillymon said, wincing as her smaller opponent leaped into the air and sliced her leg with the claws on his right arm, which was adorned with a Dark Spiral.

"What does that mean?" asked Yolei.

"It means Millenniummon must be getting some Digimon to join them of their own free will, while others he's brainwashing," said Kazu. "We have to destroy Minotarumon and free MetalMamemon, then."

"Guys, I need some backup!" Lillymon yelled as she dodged MetalMamemon's Energy Bomb attack.

"Yolei, I have to go in!" Hawkmon insisted. Yolei hesitated slightly before making a choice.

"Okay," she held up her D-3. "Get up there!"

"HAWKMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…AQUILAMON!" The giant bird flew into the air and for MetalMamemon, whose attention was focused on Lillymon, the fairy Digimon continuing to dodge the red energy blasts.

"GLIDE HORN!" The bird's horns elongated and rammed into MetalMamemon. While it didn't hurt him very much due to the difference in level between Aquilamon and MetalMamemon, the attack was still strong enough to knock the small cyborg away from Lillymon. Turning around and glaring at Aquilamon, MetalMamemon chose to switch targets, his cannon aimed at the giant bird.

"ENERGY BOMB!"

"BLAST LASER!" Aquilamon's energy rings flew into the air and collided with MetalMamemon's bomb, the explosion sending both Digimon flying away from each other. Being the larger Digimon with wings, Aquilamon was able to regain his composure in the air while MetalMamemon was still spiraling in the air, allowing Lillymon to continue her attack on MetalMamemon.

"FLOWER WREATH!" The flower-covered vines appeared in Lillymon's hands and were thrown into the air, wrapping themselves around the small Digimon's feet. With a mighty pull, Lillymon sent MetalMamemon falling towards the ground.

"Aquilamon, get ready!" Lillymon called out, another vine appearing in her hand, this time covered with sharp spikes. MetalMamemon yelled as collided with the ground, creating a small crater in his wake. Pulling himself up, MetalMamemon glared at Lillymon and began firing his Energy Bomb attack, but the fairy Digimon swerved and dodged the blasts, her vine outstretched to strike.

"VICIOUS VINE!"

"GLIDE HORN!" As Lillymon was heading for MetalMamemon, Aquilamon flew down right behind MetalMamemon, his horns extended again. MetalMamemon turned, seeing Aquilamon coming for him, and raised his right arm up, blocking Aquilamon's horn with his claws. However, he could only focus on one target for so long, allowing Lillymon to go for the final blow.

"Got you now!" Shooting down from the sky, Lillymon swung her vine down and struck the Dark Spiral, making cracks appear around it. The electricity that coursed from the Spiral shocked MetalMamemon, making him step back in pain.

"BLAST LASER!" Taking advantage, Aquilamon fired his rings again, colliding with MetalMamemon's weakened Spiral, finally destroying it.

"DEMON ARM!" Nearby, Minotarumon continued fighting Andromon, striking at him with his metal arm. Andromon raised his arms up in defense, his armor taking the brunt of the punches.

"Fall, you pathetic machine, fall!" Minotarumon roared, raising his left arm again. "DARKSIDE…"

"GATLING MISSILES!" Acting quickly, Andromon opened his chest plate and fired his missiles, blasting Minotarumon in the face and making him stagger back. Snarling in anger, Minotarumon charged for Andromon again, but the cyborg Digimon rolled out of the way and kicked Minotarumon towards the lake. Snarling again, Minotarumon prepared to slam his arm into the ground, when Dolphmon suddenly burst out of the water from behind and opened his mouth.

"SHAKING PULSE!" The sonic blasts that erupted from Dolphmon's mouth struck Minotarumon, who yelled in pain from the attack and covered his ears, dropping to his knees in the process.

"Andromon, get him in the water!" Kazu called out. "He won't be able to cause earthquakes there!" Andromon nodded and charged for Minotarumon, both combatants colliding with each other and falling into the water.

"You're in my element now, Minotarumon!" Dolphmon said, swimming for the beast Digimon. "Which means you're finished!"

"DIGI-MODIFY! MAMMOTHMON ACTIVATE!" Kenta yelled, swiping a card through his D-Ark for Dolphmon to use.

"FREEZING BREATH!" Dolphmon opened his mouth to attack, but instead of sonic waves, it came out as a giant blast of ice that connected with Minotarumon's left arm, freezing it solid. Andromon quickly followed up the attack with a Spiral Sword that shattered Minotarumon's left arm. The beast man could only release a garbled scream of pain from having his arm blown up.

"Now to end this battle!" said Andromon. "GATLING MISSILES!" Two more missiles flew out and hit Minotarumon, engulfing him in an explosion that sent water flying out of the lake and up into the air.

"Woah!" Yolei yelled in surprise. "Who did that?!"

"Judging from the size of that water, I'd have to say Andromon," said Kazu. A few moments later, Andromon came out of the water with Dolphmon, the latter turning back into Betamon.

"Where's Minotarumon?" asked Kenta. "Did you guys get him?"

"We did," said Betamon. "He's toast!"

"You mean he's…dead?" Yolei asked in shock.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanashimi 2)

"Had to be done," Kazu replied. "Minotarumon wasn't being controlled by Millenniummon like MetalMamemon was. He was just plain evil and wanted us dead."

"I know he was evil, but…" Yolei said, slightly uneasy about Minotarumon's death.

"I hate it as much as you do Yolei, believe me," Mimi said, placing a hand on Yolei's shoulder. "I'd like to think every Digimon we meet isn't evil, but in my experience, that's just not the case."

"I suppose you're right," Yolei said softly as she remembered what Rika and Jeri said to her and Cody about killing Digimon if necessary. "I suppose it has to be done…but it still doesn't feel easy."

"Try imagining losing the fight, then it will be easy," said Kenta, picking up Betamon in his arms.

"I guess so…" Yolei said, looking over to the forest Digitamamon was sent flying into, her thoughts now on the egg Digimon.

'Even after I called him a jackass, he still protected me and the others…maybe I should apologize to him…if he's all right, that is.'

* * *

"Oh, my shell…" Digitamamon groaned as he pulled himself out of the crater that he created from being sent flying into the air by Minotarumon. "I need a better way to protect my restaurant…"

"You won't be able to protect it…when you'll be destroying it!" a dark voice said from behind. Digitamamon turned around to see a dark shadow standing before him.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Your new master," the shadow said, raising an object that made Digitamamon's eyes widen in horror.

"No…it's you! Stay back! NOOOO!" Digitamamon could only scream as the shadow threw the object at him, before an eerie silence rang over the forest.

* * *

In his throne room in Little Edo, ShogunGekomon slept peacefully, snoring as he took a nap. After he fell asleep, his subjects had left the room with the Digidestined so he could be alone.

Supposedly…

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Ah, there you are, ShogunGekomon. I had a feeling this is what you would be doing." Ninjamon dropped down from the ceiling of the throne room, having crept into the palace after being given his new task by Millenniummon. The small Digimon crept forward until he was close to the slumbering frog, and he pulled out the Dark Spiral.

"You shall be Lord Millenniummon's newest servant!" Ninjamon threw the Spiral and it latched to the antennae on ShogunGekomon's head. Moments later, ShogunGekomon grumbled loudly as he opened his blood-red eyes.

"And now I make my exit," Ninjamon said, darting up to the ceiling and sneaking out of the palace, pleased with himself. Now that ShogunGekomon was under Millenniummon's control, Ninjamon was guaranteed to be given new strength by Millenniummon to fight the Deva…

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ie ni Kaerou ~Target Instruments~)

"Some lord this ShogunGekomon is!" Impmon huffed in frustration. "His village is in danger, and he thinks the best solution is sleeping like Rip Van Winkle!" The Digidestined and Tamers sat together in another room in the palace, discussing their plan for defending the village from whatever forces Ninjamon would bring with him.

"Well, I'm not going to sit here in this palace!" said Davis. "If we're going to defend this village, then we need a plan. We don't know where this strike will come from, so we'll have to split up and take a different direction of the village to protect."

"Agreed," said Rika, looking at a map of the village that was provided to the children by the Gekomon. "Four of us will have to each take a different direction, and it should be best that one of us takes to the skies, and another goes underground, in case of an underground strike."

"Okay, here's the plan," said Davis. "I'll take north with Veemon. Rika, you go west with Renamon. Kari, you'll take east, and TK will provide air support. Ai and Mako, go south with Impmon. Cody, you'll go underground since Digmon has the ability to do so, and Suzie, take west with Lopmon." Davis looked up from the map, only to see that Cody was absent in the room. "Hey, where did Cody go?"

"I saw him walk out of here a few minutes ago with his partner," said Impmon. "I don't think he wanted to be in the same room with Suzie."

"What?" Suzie asked indignantly.

"Well, you did bring up his dead dad while insulting him," said Impmon, "and I think it put him off a bit."

"Yeah, seriously Suzie, what possessed you to say that?" Rika asked the younger girl sternly. Suzie sighed and rubbed her forehead before answering.

"Okay, maybe I did go a little too far mentioning his father like that, but he seriously needs to know that some Digimon have to be killed. You told him that, didn't you Rika?"

"Yes, I did," said Rika. "And I do agree that Cody's making a mistake sparing Ninjamon."

"Look, it's just…Cody's dad was a cop, and don't they usually kill people if there's no other choice left, and if it's to protect someone?" asked Suzie.

"Suzie, we don't know for sure if Cody's dad ever killed someone," said Kari, getting up and heading for the door. "And even then, that's not just something we can ask…him…" The bearer of Hope trailed off when he opened the door, and his eyes widened when he saw Cody standing in front of him, a hurt look on his face.

"Cody!" Kari gasped in surprise. "How long have you…"

"Long enough," Cody said, a frown on his face. "And you're wrong. My father would never kill anyone! He…he wouldn't…"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"All right, that's it!" TK said, standing up and walking right up to Cody, looking down at him with a glare. "I think Rika and Suzie have already said everything they need to say, so now I'll say my piece on this: Grow up and see reality, Cody! The reason we survived our adventures four years ago is we had to kill a number of Digimon just so we could stay alive and prevent this world from being taken over by darkness! Every Digimon we struck down, we did it without hesitation! Devimon, Myotismon, Etemon, the Dark Masters, Apocalymon, Diaboromon, Millenniummon! They're the worst of the worst, the types that will slaughter innocent Digimon and laugh about it with no remorse, all while spreading darkness throughout the Digital World because they can. And the same goes for those who work for them of their own free will, like Ninjamon. In sparing Ninjamon, you've just given the enemy another chance to destroy this village and everybody here. If anybody dies here today…it's on you." Cody could only stare at TK in complete shock and horror.

"All…on me? But…" Cody was suddenly interrupted when the room began to shake, along with the rest of the castle.

"What is this? An earthquake?!" Patamon asked as dust fell from the ceiling.

"I hope it's not an earthquake! I hate those!" Ai shrieked, dropping to her knees and holding her head in her hands.

"Don't worry Ai, it's okay," Impmon reassured his partner, Mako giving his sister a small hug of comfort. Moments later, the castle ceased shaking, but loud crashes could be heard from outside.

"I don't think it's an earthquake…" Veemon started when a Gekomon suddenly burst into the room, a look of panic on his face.

"Come quickly! Our lord is out of control! He's attacking our village!" The green frog Digimon quickly led the group outside, where they could see ShogunGekomon stomping through the village, crushing buildings underneath his feet. A quick look at his antennae showed everybody the reason for the rampage. The sounds of screaming indicated that many Digimon in that part of the village were running in fear from the rampaging Digimon.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Aku no Butai ga Yatte Kita)

"He's got a Dark Spiral!" said Davis. "How did that get on there?"

"Never mind how, we have to stop him before he causes any more damage!" Rika said as ShogunGekomon performed his Musical Fist attack, the shockwaves causing more buildings to crumble.

'All this damage he's done so far…' Cody thought, staring at ShogunGekomon's rampage in horror and thinking about what TK said to him just moments ago. 'Is this…my fault?!'

"Veemon, get ready to go Ultimate!" Davis pulled out his D-3 to enable Veemon's Digivolution, when a loud crashing noise, accompanied by more screaming, from the other side was heard.

"Now what?!" Impmon asked, turning his head to the sound of the crashing.

"I'll check it out!" Leaping into the air, Renamon landed on the roof of a nearby building, her eyes sweeping the area until she found the cause of the noise: A giant purple flower-like Digimon with countless thorny vines making up her body, four of them tipped with small black flowers sporting sharp teeth.

"Tremble, you weaklings, for Lord Millenniummon has ordered for your village to be destroyed!" the flower Digimon yelled, lashing out with her vines and attacking the fleeing Mushroomon and Floramon.

"Rika, are you seeing this?" Renamon asked her partner.

"I am," Rika answered, looking at the destruction through her D-Ark.

"Who is that Digimon?" asked Kari.

"Blossomon," Rika identified the Digimon. "An Ultimate level Plant type Digimon, Data attribute. Her special move is throwing the small flowers attached to her vines like shuriken, Spiral Flower. They can cut through anything, no matter how hard they are!"

"Why is it attacking the village?" asked Mako. "Aren't Blossomon usually docile Digimon?"

"She could be working with Millenniummon willfully, or she's being controlled," said Ai.

"We'll have to split up then," said Davis. "TK, take Ai, Mako and Suzie with you, and confront Blossomon. The rest of you, you're with me against ShogunGekomon!"

"Let's do it, then!" Veemon said, pumping his fist in the air as he began glowing brightly with Patamon, Armadillomon and Gatomon, and the Tamers pulled out the Digivolution cards from their decks.

(Play Digimon: Brave Heart)

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!"

"PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEMON!"

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANGEWOMON!"

"ARMADILLOMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANKYLOMON!"

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…KYUBIMON!"

"LOPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…TURUIEMON!"

"IMPMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WIZARDMON!"

Once the Digivolutions were complete, all the Digimon except Ankylomon and Turuiemon took off with their partners, heading for their designated opponents.

"Hold on, Suzie!" Turuiemon scooped her partner into her arms and prepared to leap on the rooftops when a flash of silver dropped out of the sky and imbedded itself in the ground in front of the rabbit Digimon.

"It's a shuriken!" Cody gasped, recognizing the object. A closer look alerted the two to a piece of paper tied to the shuriken. "That must mean…"

"Ninjamon," Suzie said, walking over to the shuriken. "He must have been the one to put the Dark Spiral on ShogunGekomon." The girl pulled the paper off the shuriken and unfolded it, looking it over with a glare.

"What does it say?" asked Ankylomon.

"Ninjamon's challenging Turuiemon to a duel, south of here," Suzie said, crumpling the paper in her hands. "Change of plans, then."

"Wait, you're actually going to fight Ninjamon again, right now?" Cody asked in surprise. "But what about TK, Ai and Mako?"

"They can take care of Blossomon easily," said Suzie. "Angemon and Wizardmon are very powerful Digimon that can go to the Mega level if necessary. Blossomon won't be much of a problem for them. Ninjamon has to be stopped before he causes any more damage."

"Then let's get moving," Turuiemon said, picking up Suzie in her arms and ready to start jumping on the rooftops when a call from Cody caught her attention.

"Wait! Suzie, are you…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

"If you're going to ask me if I'm going to kill Ninjamon, then yes," said Suzie, narrowing her eyes. "He's too dangerous to be kept alive Cody. Look at the damage he's caused already by unleashing Blossomon and ShogunGekomon. And the worst part of it is, like TK said…this is on you as well. Turuiemon, let's go!" Turuiemon nodded and began jumping for Ninjamon's location, leaving Cody and Ankylomon alone, the former looking at the rampaging ShogunGekomon with a look of shock, horror and regret.

"Cody…?" Ankylomon asked, seeing his partner standing still. "Shouldn't we get going and help our group?"

"…" Cody was silent before speaking. "No. Suzie's right, Ankylomon. And TK was right as well. This is all my fault…all of this destruction, because I spared Ninjamon. I…I can't let this stand. We have to help Suzie and Turuiemon. This is my fight as much as it is Suzie's." The young boy climbed up on Ankylomon's back. Once he was sure his partner was situated properly, the yellow dinosaur began running to where he saw Turuiemon go to.

"Cody…what exactly are we going to do once we find Ninjamon?" Ankylomon asked as he ran. "Are we going to have to…kill him?"

"I…I don't know," Cody admitted. The young boy had always never wanted to harm, let alone kill, another living form in any way, but with everything that Ninjamon had done so far, could he possibly bring himself to kill him?

'What do I do…?'

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne…)

"We're sorry we had to be a little rough with you, but we had no choice if we wanted to free you," Mimi said to MetalMamemon. Several minutes had passed since the fight with Minotarumon and MetalMamemon, and the latter had finally woken up, looking confused about his surroundings.

"I…I forgive you, but…how am I a MetalMamemon now?" asked the small cyborg Digimon. "I remember…being a Tankmon…"

"Millenniummon had enslaved you with his Dark Spiral, and he used the power of a small Digimon called Calumon to Digivolve you to the Ultimate level," Kazu explained. "But we managed to save you."

"Well…thank you," MetalMamemon said, finishing his looking over of himself. "What should I do now?"

"You should probably go back to where you belong," Mimi said sweetly. "You probably have friends back home who are worrying about you."

"If they're still there," MetalMamemon said dejectedly. "What's not to say Millenniummon has enslaved them and Digivolved them like he did me?"

"Then go and find them," suggested Kenta. "And if you need our help, don't hesitate to call us."

"I will. Thank you!" With that said, MetalMamemon jumped into the air and flew off into the forest.

"He didn't really seem all that bad," Lillymon observed once MetalMamemon was gone. "He actually seems pretty nice!"

"I guess so," Yolei said, suddenly having a realization. "Wait a minute, where's Digitamamon?"

"That's right, he protected us…" Mimi said, suddenly remembering what happened to the egg-shaped Digimon. "And Minotarumon kicked him into the forest! He must be hurt! We should go look for him!"

"I doubt we need to find Digitamamon," Andromon said quickly, looking over to a small hill nearby. There, rolling down the hill, was a familiar looking egg.

"Digitamamon!" Mimi said, happy to see that he was safe. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"Yes, I am…" Digitamamon said in a low voice. As Mimi approached him, Yolei began thinking again about what she said before to Digitamamon.

'I guess I really should apologize to him, and thank him for saving us…'

"I managed to get back here after flying far away," Digitamamon continued as his shell opened, revealing his eyes. Though Mimi and Yolei couldn't see it yet, Kazu and Kenta were quick to notice how different his eyes were looking right now.

"Thank you about earlier," Mimi said to the egg Digimon. "You were able to save us, and we managed to stop Minotarumon and MetalMamemon!"

"Good," Digitamamon said as his legs came out of his shell. "And now…I shall make you all pay!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)

"What?!" Mimi asked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Mimi, get back!" Kazu yelled. "He has a Dark Spiral inside of him! Look at his eyes!" Mimi did, and gasped, taking a step back as she did. Digitamamon's eyes, which were usually yellow, were now blood-red.

"A Dark Spiral?!" Yolei gasped, looking at Digitamamon good and hard, not seeing the sinister device anywhere on the Digimon. "But where is it?"

"It's inside his shell," said Kenta, getting a confused look from Yolei.

'Inside his shell? But, how do we get it from in there?!'

"This time, I'll make you all go far away!" Digitamamon snarled, taking a threatening step forward. "Starting with the one who's done nothing but insult me!"

"Wait, me?!" Yolei yelped, realizing what Digitamamon was talking about.

"Yes…you!" Digitamamon leaped for Yolei, closing his shell to slam into her.

"Yolei, watch out…UGH!" Aquilamon swooped down from the sky and placed himself in front of Yolei, taking Digitamamon's attack for himself.

"Aquilamon!" Yolei gasped as she watched her partner stagger from the blow.

"I'm all right!" Aquilamon said, flying off the ground and focusing his sight on Digitamamon. "BLAST LASER!" The rings flew down, but before they could hit, Digitamamon's shell closed over his eyes, and the attack merely bounced off the shell, leaving no scratch behind.

"What?" Aquilamon asked in surprise.

"Nice try, bird-brain, but nothing can penetrate my shell! NIGHTMARE SYNDROME!" Digitamamon's shell opened up and released a black blob with red eyes, arms and a mouth. Flying right for Aquilamon, the blob grew large and consumed the bird Digimon. A split second later, the orb shrunk before rapidly expanding and spitting out Aquilamon. The bird Digimon crashed into the ground, the pain of crashing making him turn back to Hawkmon. Kenta quickly slashed his Digivolution card again, allowing Dolphmon to help Andromon and Lillymon.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Is there any way we can break his shell?!" Yolei asked as she helped Hawkmon up and watched Lillymon attempt to hit Digitamamon with her Flower Cannon, only to fail as the egg Digimon jumped back from the blasts, and his shell took the brunt of extra hits.

"Well, he is a Data attribute Digimon," Kenta said, "so if we hit him with an attack from a Virus Digimon…"

"GATLING MISSILES!"

"SHAKING PULSE!" Andromon and Dolphmon joined in the fight, hitting Digitamamon with their own attacks, only to be met with failure.

"SWING EGG!" Digitamamon lunged forward, ramming into Andromon and sending him flying into Lillymon, both Digimon falling to the ground. Digitamamon then turned to the lake Dolphmon was in and fired a red heart from his shell with a yell of "HYPER FLASHING!" The heart collided with Dolphmon and sent him flying out of the lake.

"There has to be a Virus card that can be useful," Kenta said, looking through his cards. "Let's see…MarineDevimon, SkullSatamon, Gesomon…"

"Wait!" Mimi yelled suddenly, running out on the battlefield and stood firmly, her back to Digitamamon as she looked at Lillymon and Andromon. "Hold on a second before you attack Digitamamon again!"

"What?!" Lillymon asked, confused. "Mimi, what are you doing?!"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Ansoku)

"Trust me on this, Lillymon. I've got this!" Mimi reassured her partner before turning to the Digimon before her. "Digitamamon, listen to me. You're being controlled by Millenniummon right now. But I know you don't want it like this. Go back to your true self!"

"How do you know that _this_ isn't my true self?" Digitamamon asked snidely.

"Mimi, what are you trying to do?" Yolei asked as she slowly approached Mimi and Digitamamon with Hawkmon, Kazu and Kenta.

"I'm sure he'll understand if we keep talking to him," Mimi explained.

"That's ludicrous! He's not going to listen when he has a Dark Spiral!" Yolei objected.

"Yolei, let her do this," said Kazu. "I'm sure Mimi knows what she's doing here. We just have to trust her. _You_ have to trust her!"

"I know that the Digitamamon we saw in the restaurant was the real one, and not the one in front of me right now," Mimi continued talking to the controlled Digimon. "I just know it! You said that if nobody understands you, it doesn't matter as long as you believe in yourself and be sincere!"

"Ha! I just said that to let your guard down!" Digitamamon countered.

"That's a lie!" Mimi stated. "Even if nobody believes in you, I do!"

"Why? Is it because you're so naïve and so stupid?" Digitamamon sneered, making Yolei glare heatedly at him for insulting Mimi like that.

"That's not it at all," Mimi said. "I'm your friend, and I won't stop getting through to you, even if you beg!"

"And that's your problem! SWING EGG!" Yolei and Hawkmon gasped as they watched Digitamamon leapt up and rammed Mimi in the chest, making her fall to the ground. Kazu and Kenta both winced at the attack. They had a feeling it would happen, but it still hurt to see it happen.

"Mimi!" Yolei yelled as she ran over to the older girl, who was sat up by Lillymon and Andromon.

"This…this doesn't change anything," Mimi said softly as she winced from being struck. "I still believe in you. Please…go back to your true self."

"True…self…?" Yolei asked in astonishment. It amazed her how Mimi was still willing to believe and talk to an enslaved Digitamamon. As she thought about this, she slowly came to a final realization.

"Just shut up already!" Digitamamon snarled.

"How about you do us all a favor…AND SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH ALREADY?!" Yolei yelled at the top of her lungs, making Digitamamon take a step back in surprise and everybody else to look at her with equal surprise.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Yuukan ni Tachimukau zo!)

"Let me get something straight to you right now, Digitamamon!" Yolei said, stomping forward to Digitamamon. "I don't care if you're being controlled or not by Millenniummon, but it takes a real jerk to attack Mimi like that, somebody who thought you weren't a bad guy at all, unlike me! I absolutely hate your guts, I can't stand to look at you, and I can't tell what you're thinking! I thought you seemed like a total jackass from what I heard of you, but with how you were acting with Mimi and the others earlier, as well as saving us, I thought you were good. But now you attack the people who trusted and believed in you! You're just selfish and think little about anybody but yourself!"

"Look who's talking!" Digitamamon said, regaining his composure. "You didn't trust me! And yes, I can be selfish! But guess what?! Everybody is selfish deep down…even you! So, don't think you're better than me, missy!"

"I don't think I'm better than you!" Yolei yelled. "You're right, even I'm selfish! And you know what, I hate it! I hate being selfish! It does nothing good for me at all, or for the people that are close to me! And yeah, I didn't trust you at first because I usually judge people based on appearances and first impressions! And you know what, that's who I am…but even I can be disgusted with myself." The lavender-haired girl took a deep breath before she continued.

"And yeah, I'm stubborn. I have a hard time to admit when I'm wrong…but after everything that I've been through the last two days, I'm done with it! I'm done lying to others and to myself! While I'm at it, let me just say that Mimi and Sora are great friends to me, especially Mimi, Davis is a true friend and leader when it counts, TK is swell but he has some anger issues, Kari's sweet but could do with growing a backbone, Kazu is a great friend, and Cody is way too serious and really needs to lighten up! That's how I feel about myself and others! I'm through lying to everybody, and myself! From now on, I promise to be truly sincere and not let initial impressions become my full judgment!"

As soon as Yolei was done yelling, the ground between her and Digitamamon rumbled slightly before cracking open. A green light shot out of the hole, and a small object floated out before moving in front of Yolei. The light faded to reveal the object was oval-shaped and colored olive-green. A purple object with four sharp objects – a shuriken, Yolei guessed – was underneath the oval. And emblazoned on the front of the object was a tear-shaped drawing with a circle in the center…a symbol Mimi recognized immediately.

"My…my Crest! Then, that must be…"

"It's the Digimental of Sincerity," said Kazu. "Yolei! Take the Digimental! It's yours!"

"Mine…" Yolei said, looking at the object in awe. She held her hands up, and the Digimental floated down and landed in them. She took a long look at it before dropping her face down into a look of determination.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Hawkmon, get up! We've just got a second chance at this! DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" Yolei thrust the Digimental high in the air, and it glowed bright green. Hawkmon jerked back slightly, feeling the rush of new power enter him. The Digimental of Sincerity flew out of Yolei's hand and merged with Hawkmon, who changed size and shape.

" **HAWKMON…ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…!** " A flurry of leaves was blown around the new figure, an imposing Digimon dressed like a ninja with white garb. Large green leaves rested on his shoulders, his headband bore the Crest of Sincerity, a large four-pointed shuriken was attached to his back, and his arms and legs were long green springs, ending with three-pointed shuriken for the hands and feet.

" **…BURSTING SINCERITY, SHURIMON!** "

"Wo…woah!" Yolei gasped, seeing Hawkmon's new form.

"So that's…Hawkmon's new form!" Mimi gasped in amazement as Kenta looked up the Digimon on his D-Ark.

"Shurimon. An Armor level Mutant type Digimon, Data attribute. He's skilled in the ways of the ninja and has the attribute of Plant. His special attacks are Double Stars and Kusanagi."

"DOUBLE STARS!" Shurimon wasted no time attacking Digitamamon. His arms extended towards the egg Digimon, who quickly closed his shell. Though the shuriken bounced off the shell, there was a loud screeching noise that came from making contact with the hard surface. Two scratches were left on the shell.

"You…" Digitamamon growled at Shurimon as he opened his shell again. "Nobody does that to my shell! NIGHTMARE SYNDROME!" The ninja Digimon lowered his eyes at the sight of the attack and crouched down.

"Andromon, Dolphmon, Lillymon! I'm counting on you to protect Yolei!" Shurimon jumped high into the air, the springs in his legs allowing him to jump high enough to dodge Digitamamon's attack, which continued towards Yolei.

"DIGI-MODIFY! WEREGARURUMON ACTIVATE!" Knowing what to do, Kazu quickly swiped a card with WereGarurumon on it through his D-Ark as Andromon placed himself between Yolei and the incoming attack, feeling the new power.

"WOLF CLAW!" Andromon raised his arms up before bringing them back down instantly, blocking the black blob and stopping it in its tracks. But it was not enough. Andromon grunted as he felt himself being pushed back by the attack.

"Can't…hold on…!"

"Hang on Andromon!" Lillymon flew towards Andromon and Dolphmon leapt out of the water, the two Digimon joining together with Andromon to hold back the blob. In the air, Shurimon looked down at Digitamamon and gazed long and hard into the crack that usually showed his eyes. As he did, Shurimon saw something glinting from inside.

"So that's where it is…" he said. Now was his chance since Digitamamon's shell was unable to close whenever he performed his Nightmare Syndrome attack. Grabbing the shuriken on his back, Shurimon threw it at Digitamamon with a yell of "KUSANAGI!" The shuriken spun down and impaled itself into Digitamamon's shell to prevent it from closing.

"GAH!" Digitamamon yelled as he staggered back from the blow before turning around and running away from Shurimon.

"You're not getting away so easily!" Shurimon declared and planted his feet in the ground. The earth rumbled briefly before vines burst out from underneath Digitamamon, wrapping around his ankles and holding him upside down.

"Now that I have you…" Shurimon started as he pulled his arm back. "DOUBLE STARS!" The arm extended and flew right into Digitamamon's shell, the shuriken spinning fast. The sound of something breaking was heard from inside Digitamamon's shell before Shurimon's arm came back out. Seconds later, pieces of black metal fell out of the shell and the blob the other Digimon were holding back vanished.

"Shurimon, that was awesome!" Yolei praised her partner. "How did you do that with the vines?"

"The Digimental of Sincerity gives me the power to control nature," Shurimon answered before shrinking back into Hawkmon, a green stream of light flying from him and into Yolei's D-3.

"So this is my second Digimental…" Yolei pulled out her D-Terminal to look at the new Digimental that was now displayed on the screen. "But how…"

"It's because you were being sincere and honest with yourself," Kazu said, helping Lillymon with getting Mimi standing up again. "The Digimental heard your sincere words, and that's why it went to you."

"R-really?" Yolei asked in surprise with a blush. The surprise soon faded when she realized that Kazu was right. Her entire rant to Digitamamon about him, her friends and herself really was the truth, right from her heart. She really was being sincere, and she had been rewarded for it.

'This actually feels good…' she thought to herself with a small smile.

* * *

Ninjamon sat on the roof of a building, cross-legged and eyes closed. He could hear the loud stomps of ShogunGekomon, the roar of Blossomon, and the crashing of buildings and screaming of Digimon. But those noises mattered very little to him. The only sounds that mattered to him were the ones he could barely hear. The sound of rushing air and…stomping? Opening his eyes, Ninjamon was greeted with the sight of Turuiemon and Suzie standing on the roof in front of him, and below on the ground, Cody and Ankylomon.

"Ah, I've been expecting you," Ninjamon said to Turuiemon before looking down at Cody. "But I wasn't expecting you. No matter though. You'll still fall to me."

"That's funny, considering the last time we fought, Turuiemon was very close to finishing you off," Suzie said with a smirk.

"Not this time, my dear," Ninjamon replied, leaping off the roof and to the ground. "I'm prepared for your partner this time, as well as any tricks you may have. This time, I shall truly win this battle!"

"Is that what this is about?" Cody asked in shock. "You put a Dark Spiral on ShogunGekomon and made him go on a rampage in his own village, and set Blossomon lose as well, just so you could get a rematch with Turuiemon?! Hasn't it occurred to you the number of innocent Digimon that are being hurt or killed because of your actions?"

"I care little about the residents of this village," said Ninjamon. "ShogunGekomon and Blossomon can annihilate it for all I care. All that matters to me is finishing my duel with Turuiemon. And it's not just my actions that have endangered everybody in the village. By sparing me, you have ensured the deaths of everybody here…as well as your own, boy."

"If you wish to finish our duel Ninjamon, then I shall happily oblige," said Turuiemon, claws pointed at the small Digimon. "But the results will be the same as before."

"They will…but not in the way you expect, Deva!" Ninjamon looked up into the sky and yelled upwards. "Lord Millenniummon! I have done as you requested! I ask of you now, my lord! Give me the power I desire!"

"What's he talking about?" asked Ankylomon.

"I think I know what he's talking about…" Cody answered grimly, dark clouds swirling in the sky, particularly above Ninjamon. "And I'm sure you do as well…"

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

Turuiemon's face dropped into a frown as she held up her claws. "Suzie, you might want to get a Blue Card ready…" A red light formed in the dark clouds and came down on Ninjamon, the small Digimon glowing yellow. Ninjamon's figure grew to nearly twelve feet tall and it changed shape. When the light faded, Ninjamon had changed into a gray-skinned Digimon with four arms. His limbs were coated in flames and bore golden bands. More flames sprouted from his back, which sported a golden crescent, and his neck was decorated with beaded necklaces. But what caught the attention of his enemies were the three faces on his head: The middle face wore a red mask, while the left and right faces wore a yellow and purple mask respectively.

"At last! I have finally achieved the Ultimate level!" Ninjamon's middle face said with a laugh. "Now I can truly fight the Deva on even ground!"

"Okay, what's the deal with that guy's faces?" Ankylomon asked, weirded out by the new Digimon.

"I don't know entirely," Cody said with a disturbed look of his own. "Suzie?"

"Hang on," Suzie said, checking her D-Arc. "Hmm…Asuramon, Ultimate level Demon Man Digimon, Vaccine attribute. He's a legendary Digimon with four arms and three faces, the faces each representing wrath, mercy and blessings. His special attack, Fist of Asura, releases fiery punches from all of his arms."

"Indeed," Asuramon's red face said. "Now you shall witness my full power, Turuiemon!" Suddenly, the four-armed Digimon's head turned to the yellow mask, which said, "However, I can be a being of mercy in this form, so I shall offer you a deal: Surrender now, and I shall give you, your partner and your friend a quick end." The purple mask then made itself known by saying, "Consider it not just a show of mercy, but my blessing as well." The red mask then took center again. "But if you deny me, then I shall strike you down with all of my wrath!"

"Uh, Cody…is this what humans refer to as multiple personality disorder?" asked a still-disturbed Ankylomon.

"Yes, but it's nothing like this!" said Cody.

"Asuramon, you must be pretty dumb if you think we'll just surrender," Suzie said as a card in her hand shone bright blue and she raised it up with her D-Arc. "I'm a Digimon Tamer, and my partner is a Deva. We don't give up that easily!"

"Do it now, Suzie!" Turuiemon declared, leaping into the air. Suzie swiped the card through her D-Arc's slot in a quick motion.

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

"TURUIEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…ANTYLAMON!" The Deva landed in front of Asuramon, but she didn't stay still as she flew right for Asuramon with her fists clenched. Antylamon threw her fists forward, but Asuramon managed to catch them easily with his top arms before ramming his lower fists into the rabbit Digimon's stomach, sending her flying back.

"Do you see the power I now possess, Deva?" Asuramon asked with a strong laugh. "With it, I will achieve the victory that belongs to me!"

"Power is not everything, Asuramon," Antylamon said, standing back up. "You also need a good head on your shoulders in a fight."

"How fortunate that I have three heads!" Asuramon said through his face of blessings. "Come on, Antylamon! Show me the skills of a Deva!"

"If you insist," Antylamon said, her hands turning into axes. "BUNNY BLADES!" Antylamon charged forward and swiped at Asuramon with her axe hands, the demon Digimon blocking the attacks with his arms. But it was not without damage to him, as the axes left cuts on his limbs. Asuramon stepped back and looked at the cuts…and he laughed.

"I'm impressed. Just what I expected from a servant of the mighty Sovereigns!" he declared as he covered his hands with fire. "Now I shall show you my attack! FIST OF ASURA!" The four arms flew forwards and hit Antylamon, the forces of the flaming punches causing her to stumble back. Antylamon's armor and fur was singed slightly by the fire, but she was unharmed nonetheless. The Deva charged for another attack, but Asuramon acted fast, grabbing her arms with his upper arms and her legs with his lower hands. Antylamon grunted from the iron grip of the four hands. Smirking at his enemy's peril, Asuramon delivered a hard headbutt to Antylamon, dazing the rabbit Digimon. Asuramon tossed Antylamon into the air and ignited his fists in fire again.

"FIRE FIST OF SHIVA!" Four balls of fire flew from Asuramon's fists and collided with Antylamon. The rabbit Deva yelled painfully from the flame attacks and fell through a nearby roof with a crash.

"FIRE FIST OF SHIVA!" Asuramon released his attack again, this time on the house Antylamon crashed in, setting it on fire.

"Antylamon!" Suzie called out to her partner. Cody watched the scene before him with a tense expression.

"Cody, what should I do?" asked Ankylomon. "Do we just stand here?"

"No," said Cody. "Help Antylamon. You may not be able to Digivolve to the Ultimate level, but she's going to need any help that can be offered."

"Right!" Ankylomon prepared to charge when he stopped suddenly and looked at Cody again. "Wait, what exactly do you want me to do against Asuramon?" Cody thought for a moment, his face conflicted. He didn't want to have Asuramon killed, but everything TK, Rika and Suzie had said to him, along with Asuramon's cold dismissal of innocent lives lost, was coming back to haunt him…and it left him with one thought he didn't like, but had to take.

"Do what you have to. And don't hold back."

"All right then!" Ankylomon yelled and charged for Asuramon. "Take this, three-face! TAIL HAMMER!" The spiked ball rammed into Asuramon's face of mercy, the demon man yelling in surprise from the blow. But Asuramon was not fazed for long as he looked at Ankylomon, all three of his faces sneering at the dinosaur.

"No. I shall not have you interfering in my battle this time, boy!" Asuramon declared boldly. Ankylomon swung his tail again to strike Asuramon, but Asuramon was prepared this time, grabbing the yellow tail and throwing Ankylomon in the air.

"FIRE FIST OF SHIVA!" The fireballs flew again, this time hitting Ankylomon in the undersection and sending him falling with a crash.

"Ankylomon!" Cody cried out to his partner.

"The fire…it burns…" Ankylomon attempted to stand back up with a groan, but fell back with a thud.

"Ankylomon, hang in there!" Cody said to his partner before muttering, "How can Asuramon's fire hurt him that much? His skin is hard, right?"

"His underbelly isn't as hard as the rest of his body," said Suzie. "That's a weak spot right there."

"Such raw power!" Asuramon boasted with a laugh. "Nothing can truly stop me now!"

"I beg to differ," Antylamon stated, rising out of the burning remains of the house, parts of her body covered in burns from the flames. "It is true Asuramon. I am a Deva, and my power is much greater than most Digimon. But I do not use that power so recklessly and I usually hold back in fights unless it's necessary. But now…I think it's time I showed you what I can really do."

"Show me then!" Asuramon shot his fireballs again at Antylamon, who raised her arms up and grabbed the balls of fire that flew at her. The fireballs settled in Antylamon's hands, surprising Asuramon, Cody and Ankylomon. Suzie however, had a small smile on her face, having seen her partner do this before.

"MEDITATION CURE!" The orange fire suddenly glowed purple and flew around Antylamon, also glowing purple as well. The fire went into Antylamon and when the purple glow faded, the rabbit Deva's burns were gone and her armor was shining again.

"What is this?!" Asuramon shouted.

"That's Antylamon's Meditation Cure," Suzie explained. "Any energy attacks Antylamon absorbs can heal her injuries in an instant."

"And now we truly begin!" Stepping forward, Antylamon ran up to Asuramon in a brown and purple blur. Raising her arm up, Antylamon's fist connected with Asuramon's jaw, sending him crashing through a series of houses, leaving them in ruins.

"BUNNY BLADES!" Her axes released multiple energy blades that Asuramon attempted to dodge, but was overwhelmed by.

"You'll regret hurting me like that!" Asuramon bellowed, his Fire Fist of Shiva soaring through the air.

"The only one who will be regretting his actions today is you!" Suzie corrected, slashing a card through her D-Ark. "DIGI-MODIFY! HIGH SPEED PLUG-IN B!" An already fast Digimon, Antylamon's speed increased thanks to Suzie's card, and all that could be seen of her was a purple blur that sliced through the fireballs and slammed into Asuramon, pushing him back and out of the village to prevent further damage from being done.

'I will end you Asuramon…no matter what!'

* * *

"There she is!" TK exclaimed, seeing Blossomon from his place in the sky in Angemon's arms. The plant Digimon rampaged through the section of the village she was in, her vines swinging around and crashing through windows and walls. Numerous Digimon attempted to run, but small green vines burst out of the ground and wrapped around them, leaving them at Blossomon's mercy.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

"POLLINOSIS SHOWER!" Mustard-yellow pollen spewed from Blossomon's mouth and covered the street full of captured Digimon. The Floramon and Mushroomon coughed violently before letting out a loud wheeze and collapsing on the ground, their bodies dissolving into data. The flying Digimon above and their partners were horrified at what they just saw.

"So…horrible!" Ai gasped, burrowing her head in Wizardmon's chest from what she just saw.

"I'm not sensing any dark force controlling Blossomon's mind in any way," Wizardmon said, holding onto Ai with one hand and his staff in the other with Mako on his back. "She's not being controlled at all. She's doing this because she wants to."

"Tremble you little weaklings!" Blossomon shouted to more fleeing Digimon. "For Lord Millenniummon shall see you dead before the day is out! SPIRAL FLOWER!" The four flowers on Blossomon's vines flew forward and spun like shuriken, cutting down the Digimon and killing them. TK watched in anger at the sight of the slaughter.

"Unforgiveable…" the blond boy growled. "Any evil deed is unforgiveable! We have to stop her, Angemon!" Angemon nodded and flew down at Blossomon.

"ANGEL ROD!" The angel Digimon threw his staff and it hit Blossomon in the back of the head, making her turn at the new challenger.

"Oh, good!" Blossomon laughed at Angemon and Wizardmon. "I could use the rush! The weaklings I've seen so far haven't put up much of a fight!"

"You're biting off more than you can chew with us!" said TK. "Angemon, get her!"

"Wait!" Mako yelled too late as Angemon was already flying for Blossomon, knocking her vines away with his staff before flying right into the plant Digimon's face with a yell of "HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!" The golden light hit Blossomon and she skidded back, but all the attack seemed to do was irritate her.

"You think you could strike me down so easily, angel?! I'm not a dark type Digimon!"

"But you still side with evil," said Angemon. "Therefore, you must be destroyed!"

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Kurihirogaru Battle)

"MAGICAL GAME!" Wizardmon was the next to strike, slamming his staff in the ground and creating a crack in the ground in front of Blossomon. Fire spewed from the crack and hit Blossomon.

"AAH! IT BURNS!" Blossomon shrieked, backing away from the flames. "You brats shall pay for this!" The plant Digimon slammed her vines into the ground, and they burst out from underneath TK, the twins, Angemon and Wizardmon, snaring their arms and legs.

"I'll choke you brats to death for that!" she snarled, her vines tightening around the quintet, all five of them choking and gasping from the lack of air. "Are there any last words that you'll be able to say?"

"Yeah…" Ai gasped, grabbing a card from her pocket and holding it up as best she could. "Mako…heads up!" The girl tossed the card to her twin, who held the D-Arc in his left hand. The card slid through the slot and a bright light enveloped Wizardmon. The vines holding him snapped apart, and the light faded to reveal Baalmon, the dark warrior immediately freeing Angemon and the human children.

"Angemon, Digivolve as well!" said TK. "Show Blossomon that evil will never win!" The Crest of Hope flared on his chest, and Angemon changed to MagnaAngemon, his sword held high with Baalmon's.

"Fine then," Blossomon growled. "If that's the way you want it…POLLINOSIS SHOWER!" The poisonous powder flew for Baalmon and MagnaAngemon, but the angel Digimon acted fast, using his beam shield to create a barrier that blocked the pollen, which flew back at Blossomon.

"How about a taste of your own medicine?" Baalmon asked, only to take a step back in surprise when he saw Blossomon come out of the pollen cloud with no damage on her.

"Nice try, I'm immune to my own pollen," chuckled Blossomon. "Now let's see if you're fast enough to dodge these! SPIRAL FLOWER!" The four flowers on her vines flew forward, spinning like deadly shuriken towards her two opponents.

"MagnaAngemon, make your move!" Baalmon said. "I'll take care of Blossomon's flowers!"

"Okay!" MagnaAngemon took flight as Baalmon stood his ground and waited for Blossomon's flowers to get close to him. Once they were a foot away, Baalmon swung his sword with one swipe, and the flowers dropped to the ground, each of them sliced in half.

"YOU FOOL!" Blossomon roared in anger. "Don't you know how long those take to grow back!"

"Longer than it will take for this to happen!" MagnaAngemon declared, falling out of the sky with his sword extended. "EXCALIBUR'S GRACE!"

"NOOO!" Blossomon could only scream at the sword came down on her head and went down vertically, slicing her in half. The two halves of Blossomon's body fell away from each other and burst apart, the broken flower shuriken following suit.

"We stopped Blossomon, but the Digimon she attacked…" Ai said, looking sad.

"It's all right," TK assured the young girl and her twin, who also looked sad over not succeeding in saving Blossomon's victims in time. "They'll be reborn eventually…and so will Blossomon."

"And when she does, let us hope that she chooses to do something better with her life," said MagnaAngemon.

"And what if she doesn't?" asked Mako.

"Then we'll stop her again," said Baalmon. "In the meantime, let's see if there are any survivors and help them. The others can handle ShogunGekomon easily."

"Yeah, let's go," TK said, heading for the houses to check for any surviving Digimon, when he suddenly noticed…

"Wait, where's Suzie?"

"Suzie?" Mako asked, looking around and noticing the absence of their friend. "Yeah, where is she? Wasn't she supposed to be on our team?"

"Do you think she went with Davis's group instead?" asked Ai.

"Let's go and see," TK said, climbing on MagnaAngemon's back. Ai and Mako climbed on after him and MagnaAngemon took off for where the fight with ShogunGekomon was happening.

* * *

(Play Digimon Tamers: Theme Action)

"MUSICAL FIST!"

"Heads up!" Paildramon and Angewomon dodged the soundwaves emitted by ShogunGekomon's horns and Kyubimon leapt out of the way, the waves mowing down the buildings behind them.

"Damn it…!" Paildramon cursed, seeing more damage being caused to the village.

"We have to get ShogunGekomon to turn around!" said Rika. "He won't be able to cause more damage that way!"

"Rika's right," Angewomon said, looking at the wrecked buildings behind the frog Digimon. "He's already caused damage to the houses behind him!"

"Kyubimon, block him with your fire!" Davis called out. Kyubimon nodded and released her Fox Tail Inferno, strengthened thanks to Rika's cards. The fireballs danced in front of ShogunGekomon, who was forced to step back thanks to the heat of the flames.

"Right this way, ugly!" Rika yelled, getting ShogunGekomon to look down and see her and Kyubimon running from him. Roaring at the duo, the giant frog began stomping his way to them, oblivious to Paildramon and Angewomon flying by his sides.

"Angewomon, catch! CABLE CATCHER!" Paildramon's fingers flew to the female angel, who grabbed the cables and pulled them taut. The dragon and angel Digimon landed on the ground and stood firmly as ShogunGekomon came up to Paildramon's cables, his feet, getting caught in them.

"Hey! What?!" ShogunGekomon yelled, stumbling as Paildramon's cables tangled up his legs, making him trip and fall to the ground with a loud crash.

"Now's your chance, Kyubimon!" yelled Kari.

"DRAGON WHEEL!" Kyubimon's attack struck the Dark Spiral and burned it away to ash. ShogunGekomon struggled a little to get up before slumping down, asleep once again.

"And that's that!" Paildramon stated, getting his cables free from ShogunGekomon's legs.

"Yes, but there is much damage that has been done here…" Kyubimon stated, observing the damaged buildings that were caught in the fight.

"We can rebuild," said Angewomon, "once Millenniummon is defeated."

"Yeah…we can," Davis said, looking around with a steely expression, noticing something almost immediately. "Uh, guys…where's Cody?"

"Cody?" Kari asked, looking around with Angewomon, noticing that the young boy was not with them. "Rika, did you see Cody anywhere?"

"No, I didn't," Rika said, her brow furrowing. "He was supposed to be with us, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was," Davis nodded. "Where did he go off to?"

"Hey, guys!" Davis, Kari and Rika looked up to see Baalmon and MagnaAngemon land down near them, the latter letting TK, Ai and Mako off his back.

"TK!" Kari exclaimed. TK ran up to the group and looked around for a moment before frowning.

"Suzie's not here," he said, getting the attention of Davis, Rika and Kari.

"Suzie? What are you talking about?" asked Rika.

"Suzie wasn't with our group," explained Ai. "We managed to beat Blossomon, though."

"We thought she was with you guys," said Mako.

"No, she wasn't," said Davis. "In fact, Cody wasn't with us either, and he was supposed to be with us."

"Cody?" asked a surprised TK. "Where did they go off to?"

"No idea," said Kari. "Maybe they noticed another Digimon attacking nearby and they decided to go and handle it."

"I don't think you're that far off Kari," Paildramon said, noticing something in the far distance and pointing to it. "Look." The rest of the group looked to where he was pointing, and saw a column of flames rise into the air before fading away, followed by Antylamon's figure leaping up and hacking away at something with her Bunny Blades.

"If Antylamon's there, then that must mean Suzie is there as well," said Kyubimon.

"And where there's Suzie, it's likely Cody is there as well," said Davis. "Let's go!"

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Concierto de Aranjuez)

"MULTIPLE FACES!" Asuramon's three faces glowed a multitude of colors, releasing a rainbow-colored beam that nearly hit Antylamon, but the rabbit Digimon rolled out of the way of the attack and towards Asuramon, delivering a powerful kick that connected with his chin, sending him stumbling back.

"Good…good!" Asuramon laughed again, making Antylamon sneer at the fact that he was finding joy in this battle, whereas she found none whatsoever.

"You dare continue to laugh?!"

"Of course!" Asuramon said. "This is the fight I've always wanted and more! To fight the strongest Digimon to exist and prove that I am the stronger one!"

"You're about to be sorely disappointed, then!" said Suzie. Antylamon threw another punch that Asuramon caught easily, but the Deva managed to lift her foot up and kick him in the side, making him release his hold on the arm.

"FIRE FIST OF SHIVA!" The fireballs flew again from Asuramon's hands, but Antylamon ducked and dodged the flames, running right for Asuramon at fast speeds. Asuramon raised his arms to attack again, but Antylamon acted much fasted, getting closer to the four-armed Digimon and summoning her axe hands again.

"BUNNY BLADES!" The arms went up fast, and the sound of flesh being cut was heard as Antylamon's blades sliced Asuramon's lower arms off his body, the two limbs falling to the ground.

"GGGYYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!" Asuramon yelled, backing up in pain. "MY…MY ARMS!"

"I'm done playing!" Antylamon said, charging again for Asuramon. "It's over!" The Deva swung her axes again, leaving two deep cuts in Asuramon's chest. The demon man Digimon gasped as he dropped to his knees, his two remaining hands going up to the deep, and clearly fatal, wounds in his chest.

"You're done Asuramon," Suzie said, walking up to Asuramon, whose wounds were leaking data.

"Yes…I suppose I am…" Asuramon said, his head turning so his face of blessings was in the center and speaking. "I am…truly blessed to have died fighting such a strong opponent…"

"But did you have to cause so much damage just to have your battle?" Cody asked angrily. "So many Digimon have fallen here today…"

"That…hardly mattered…" Asuramon said, slumping down to his side. "But remember, boy…mine are not the only hands covered in the blood of the fallen Digimon here today…" The demon man let out one last chuckle before his body broke apart completely with his severed arms, the data floating into the sky. Cody could only watch the floating data, Asuramon's last words haunting him.

"We…we killed him…"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"It had to be done," Suzie told Cody. "I know you don't like it Cody, but you'll have to get used to it."

"Besides, Asuramon won't stay dead forever," Cody turned to see TK approach him, the rest of the group behind him. "He died in the Digital World, so he'll be reborn eventually."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't feel right…" Cody said, looking at wrecked village. "None of this feels right to me…"

"You can't let this get to you Cody," Armadillomon said, knowing what his partner was thinking. "Yeah, you screwed up, but nobody's perfect. We just have to move on."

"He's right," said Davis. "You have to pull through, I know you can."

"The Digimon are counting on all of us to save them all," said Rika, "so we can't falter."

"Come on guys, let's get back home and regroup with everybody else," said Davis. The rest of the children and Digimon nodded and proceeded back for the Digital Gate. Cody was far behind, thinking about what had happened today, and how he played a part in the events. Nearby him, Suzie looked at him with a slight frown.

'I just hope Cody learns something from all this…' she thought to herself.

* * *

"Ugh…what?" Digitamamon groaned, opening his eyes slowly to see Mimi looking down at him.

"Digitamamon, you're awake!" Mimi said happily. "Are you all right?"

"Yes…I think so…" Digitamamon answered, sitting up. "Did you…save me?"

"Yeah…Yolei did," Mimi nodded, looking over to the lavender-haired girl.

"M-me?" Yolei asked, surprised at Mimi giving her the credit.

"Yes, you," said Kazu. "You and Shurimon did all the work to break the Dark Spiral. All the rest of the Digimon did was block his attack."

"Yolei…thank you," Digitamamon said, walking up to the girl, who actually blushed from the egg Digimon's display of gratitude.

"Oh! It…it was nothing at all. But…I am sorry about what I said before about hating you…"

"Don't worry about it!" Digitamamon reassured her. "I'm sure you've learned to be honest enough now."

"I have…" said Yolei. "I may not have the same level of power as Davis and Takato and the others, but I'll fight to my best from now on!" She then looked over to her sister figure. "And it's thanks to Kazu and your Crest, Mimi! I promise I'll take care of it!"

"I know you will," Mimi said with a big smile.

"Oh, Mimi!" a voice said near her. Turning around, Mimi's eyes widened when she saw Chuumon, a small pink rat Digimon, and Sukamon, a yellow Digimon shaped like a swirl, near her.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Itsumo no Seikatsu)

"Is there any chance we can have that date now?" both Digimon asked with a sheepish chuckle. Mimi paled slightly at the sight of the two Digimon, unsure of what to say. She remembered these two Digimon from years ago on File Island, when she was separated from everybody thanks to Devimon. They had a crazy crush on her, they were practically her first stalkers. Later on, when the Digidestined fought the Dark Masters, Chuumon, who had lost Sukamon to the evil Digimon, sacrificed himself to protect Mimi when Piedmon attempted to kill her, dying in her arms.

"Chuumon…Sukamon…it's good to see you again, but about that date…well…"

"I'm pretty sure she's seeing somebody else!" Kenta said quickly. "Right, Mimi?"

"Oh! Yeah, I am!" Mimi said quickly. "Sorry guys."

"Aww…" Chuumon and Sukamon groaned in disappointment.

"Oh, don't be so down!" Digitamamon said, walking over to the two Digimon. "I'm sure you'll find your own girls soon enough. In the meantime, why don't you come in to my restaurant and have something to eat?"

"Hmm…okay!" both Digimon said after a moment of thinking and hopped after Digitamamon into the restaurant. "See you later, Mimi!"

"Bye!" Mimi waved to them, watching them leave. Once they were gone, Kenta turned to the older girl.

"I'm sorry about saying that Mimi. I know you're not really seeing anybody right now, but I know Chuumon and Sukamon kind of creep you out, but they're still your friends, so you didn't really want to turn them down hard, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't," said Mimi. "I really am not seeing anybody right now…although there is someone I have been having eyes for lately…" The bearer of Sincerity walked off, leaving Kazu, Kenta and Yolei in confusion.

"Who do you think she's crazy for?" asked Yolei.

"I don't know," said Kazu. "Could be Izzy or Joe. In our dimension, a lot of fans usually ship her with one of those two."

"I'd say maybe Izzy," said Kenta, who began following after Mimi with Betamon, Kazu and Kokuwamon. "Her relationship with Joe always seemed like a sibling-like one."

"Hey, she may have eyes for someone else entirely…" Kazu voiced, the two friends continuing their talk as they walked back for the Digital Gate. Yolei walked close behind them, her face set in determination.

'You better watch out Millenniummon, because I'm coming for you. We all are!'

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

In his base, Millenniummon watched the scene before him, intrigued with what he saw.

"Hmm…she's become stronger in a day already," he muttered. "Quite a shame really. It would have been fun to continue breaking her, although…" the dark Digimon brought up another screen, which showed Cody, his face full of conflict and self-doubt.

"…I might have some fun with this one, maybe more than I did with Yolei," he said with a chuckle, bringing up another screen. "And I'm so close now…so close to completing my goal…I already have one finished, thanks to MetalMamemon. Now I just need to find where the last piece is…"

Nearby, Calumon sat in the machine, sweat running down his face, a sign of exhaustion overcoming him as a result of Millenniummon using his power to Digivolve more Digimon. And he feared Millenniummon wasn't done yet.

'Please guys…come quickly!' he thought, groaning as he fell to his side.

* * *

In his cell, Ryo sat intently, his mind swirling with different strategies of how to escape, wondering how he could be able to get away and regroup with his friends so they could storm Millenniummon's base.

"I may be trapped now…but I swear, I'll find a way out and stop you, Millenniummon!" he said to himself, fists clenched tightly. "You're not succeeding this time…"

(Play Digimon: Days ~Aijou ni Nichijou~ TV Size)

END CHAPTER 23

 **Hello! I have finally returned! I apologize for the very long delay, but a lot had been going on for me lately, good and bad. Firstly, I saw Avengers: Endgame...twice. It was, in my opinion, the best movie yet for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and truly an epic finale for an eleven-year story arc. Hopefully I can see it a third time soon. Also, the place I work at has been getting renovations lately and it's been really busy. I'm usually dead tired when I get home and am unable to write much...but that doesn't mean I won't stop this story. As for the bad news, my second dog passed away eight months after my first one, so I've been having some time to mourn, remember and move on.**

 **With that said, thank you to those who have been reviewing this story, and I hope you're still with me.**

 **Next chapter: The Digidestined are trapped in an oil rig under the sea, and everybody is counting on Cody to get backup. But when Millenniummon comes before him to fill his head with memories of his dead father and his recent battle with Asuramon, can Cody pull himself together and prove himself to be reliable?**

 **Coming soon: Reliable Waters Flow! Submarimon!**


	24. Chapter 24: Reliable Waters Flow!

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

 **Brief note before we begin: If you go on Youtube, there's a channel called OSTDigimon, which will help you out faster in finding the music cues in the chapters.**

(Play Digimon: The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Avant)

Vowing to be more honest and sincere, Yolei was awarded the Digimental of Sincerity when she encountered a controlled Digitamamon, allowing Hawkmon to become Shurimon. Meanwhile, Cody's sparing of Asuramon allowed ShogunGekomon to be controlled and destroy most of his village. Though Asuramon was defeated and ShogunGekomon was freed, Cody has been left with doubt and worries, much to Millenniummon's delight…

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Reliable Waters Flow! Submarimon

"Men! Men! Dou! Kote!" Cody yelled, swinging his shinai at his grandfather. Night had fallen on Odaiba, and Cody was now in the middle of a kendo lesson with his grandfather. Normally, Cody would have been focused solely on the lesson, but everything that had happened today for him in the Digital World was still fresh in his mind. No matter how he tried, he couldn't get everybody's words out of his head.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kuroi Inbou)

 _"How much more damage will be done until you realize some lives have to be taken to save others?! Your father was a police officer, so I thought you could understand that, but clearly I was wrong."_

"Men!"

 _"Look, it's just…Cody's dad was a cop, and don't they usually kill people if there's no other choice left, and if it's to protect someone?"_

"Kote!"

 _"Grow up and see reality, Cody!"_

 _"If anybody dies here today, it's on you."_

 _"He's too dangerous to be kept alive, Cody."_

"Dou!"

 _"By sparing me, you have ensured the deaths of everybody here…as well as your own, boy."_

 _"Remember, boy…mine are not the only hands covered in the blood of the fallen Digimon here today…"_

"Kote!"

 _"You have to pull through, I know you can."_

 _"The Digimon are counting on us to save them all, so we can't falter."_

"Men!" Cody swung hard again for his grandfather's helmet, but Chikara sidestepped the swipe easily, causing Cody to stumble forward from his own momentum.

"Dou!" Chikara's shinai swung out and struck Cody in the chest. The young boy let out a grunt as he dropped to the ground, silently cursing himself for allowing himself to be distracted from his practice.

"That is enough. Let us end this lesson today," Chikara stated, sheathing his shinai and taking off his helmet.

"No! I can still go," Cody insisted, standing back up and getting back in position.

"I think it would be best if end the lesson Cody," Chikara said to his grandson. "I can see it in your posture and your eyes. You are unfocused, and it's affecting your performance." Cody said nothing and looked down at the floor, knowing his grandfather was telling the truth.

"All right then…" he muttered, sheathing his own shinai before removing his helmet. Chikara walked over to the side of the room, picking up a bag that he brought with him and walking back to the center of the room, sitting down near Cody.

"Come. Sit." Cody walked over and sat down next to Chikara on his knees. Chikara offered him a packet of Chu-Chu Juice, which Cody accepted and took a long drink from.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Shishunki)

"Is there something wrong, Cody?" Chikara asked after several minutes of drinking juice. "I've noticed that you've been distracted the last few days."

"I…I guess that I have been," Cody confessed. "I don't really know what to think anymore. My concern has been…well, very moral."

"Oh? Does it have something to do in the Digital World?"

"It does," Cody answered. "I've been in disagreements lately with Suzie and the others, over killing Digimon to save lives or not."

"Action versus inaction, then?" Chikara asked, receiving another nod from Cody.

"I just don't know if I can bring myself to do it," said Cody. "Even if I know that Digimon that die will be reborn, it doesn't feel right, but it's also not right to let said Digimon kill innocents. Early today…I stopped Suzie's partner from killing a Digimon that was working with Millenniummon of his own will, and Suzie wasn't happy about it, and neither were the rest of my group."

"Was this Digimon one that your friends felt had to be killed in order to save others?" Chikara inquired, taking a sip of his juice.

"He was, but…I didn't agree with them. The Digimon later returned with more Digimon, and they destroyed much of the village and killed many Digimon before they were finally killed," Cody said, looking guilty. "And I'm responsible for all of it."

"Are you?"

"That's what TK and Suzie are saying," Cody answered somberly. "That because I spared Asuramon, all the destruction he and the other Digimon that he returned with caused in the wake of it is on me. I don't know what to make of it." The young boy looked up to the elderly man, who could tell that Cody was turning to him for help on this matter.

"Maybe it is on you…and maybe it isn't," said Chikara. "Suzie is your age Cody, and though TK is older than you, he is still young, and they both have different views than you do. They do not understand where you are coming from Cody…"

"I don't think they do," said Cody. "Suzie is under the assumption that since my father was a police officer I would understand…but my father never killed anybody." Chikara said nothing after Cody spoke, only thinking about something before looking at Cody was a slight frown.

"Is that what you truly believe, Cody?"

"Yes," Cody replied, surprised slightly at his grandfather's question. "Why did you ask me that?"

"Because Cody…" Chikara paused before finishing his answer. "…your father did have to take another life to save another innocent life…one of the most innocent ever."

"What?!" Cody asked in shock. "When did this happen?"

"It was years ago," Chikara started his story. "Your mother was six months pregnant with you when it happened. There was a dangerous serial killer on the loose, and your father and everybody in the police force were looking for him. I even came out of retirement to aid the force in the search. Eventually, we managed to find the killer. In fact, your father was the one who caught and arrested him."

"But he didn't kill him, did he?"

"No, he didn't," Chikara continued. "However, the killer managed to escape from custody and he aimed to get back at your father."

"He went after Dad and attacked him?" asked Cody.

"No," Chikara said. "He went after someone else…"

* * *

FLASHBACK

 _"Step on it, Dad!" Hiroki Hida said to his father. Both men were in a police car with Chikara at the wheel. They were driving down the roads of Odaiba at fast speeds, the siren wailing loudly to warn any incoming vehicles and people._

 _"Just hold on Hiroki, we're almost there," Chikara said. Hiroki wore an expression of fear and worry on his face. In the middle of their search for the escaped killer, he had received a phone call from his wife at home. Fumiko sounded scared and talked fast, telling Hiroki of a madman that broke into their apartment before the line suddenly went dead. Having a feeling of dread build up in him and a sneaking suspicion, Hiroki immediately asked for a police car and was given it, his father driving so Hiroki wouldn't cause an accident in his anxious state._

 _"Fumiko…"_

 _"We're here," Chikara said, pulling up to the apartment building. Hiroki didn't wait for the car to come to a complete stop. He undid his seatbelt and the door flew open, the cop bolting for the building entrance and up the stairs for his apartment, kicking the door in once he reached it._

 _"FUMIKO!"_

 _(Play Digimon Tamers: Panic)_

 _"That's far enough," a voice growled from the living room. Hiroki stopped short and his breath snagged at the sight before him. Fumiko stood right in front of him with the killer right behind her, one arm wrapped around her throat and the other hand holding a gun, the muzzle pressed right against her temple. Fumiko trembled in the man's grasp, a look of terror on her face with tears in her eyes._

 _"Back off, or your lady dies," the killer sneered, taking one step back and pulling Fumiko with him._

 _"Let her go," Hiroki said, slowly pulling his gun out and aiming it carefully at the man. "And drop the gun. You're under arrest."_

 _"Hiroki…" Fumiko whimpered, choking slightly from the tight grip of the arm around her neck as she struggled._

 _"Fumiko, stop!" Hiroki called out to his wife. "Don't struggle, it will only make things worse. Don't worry, nobody has to get hurt. It's going to be okay"_

 _"Big words, punk!" snarled the killer. "It's not going to be okay unless I say so!"_

 _"Let her go!" Hiroki warned him again. "I'm not going to say it again!"_

 _"The hell I will," the killer growled, moving his gun down slowly. "I'm going to take your lady from you, although…" his gun was now pointed right at Fumiko's stomach, which showed the clear signs of pregnancy in six months. "…perhaps I'll take something else from you."_

 _"Damn it, get away from them!" Hiroki said, attempting to calm himself over seeing his unborn child being threatened. "My wife and child have nothing to do with all this. Your beef is with me, so…"_

 _"Damn right it is," the killer said, his finger slowly pulling back on the trigger…"_

 _"NO!" Hiroki roared, firing two shots from his gun. One bullet hit the hand holding the gun while the second bullet went into the killer's shoulder. The killer screamed in pain from the gunshots and staggered back, dropping his gun and releasing Fumiko, who immediately began running from the killer and towards Hiroki._

 _"Oh no you don't, bitch!" the killer yelled, grabbing his gun with his left hand and aiming it for Fumiko's stomach. Hiroki's eyes widened, realizing the killer was aiming for the baby in Fumiko's womb, and he quickly acted._

 _"Fumiko, watch out!" Hiroki fired his gun again. The bullet flew through the air and hit the killer right in the head as a second gunshot was fired and hit Fumiko in the shoulder._

 _"AGH!" Fumiko screamed in pain from the shot. Hiroki immediately dropped his gun and ran for Fumiko, throwing his arms around her and checking her wound._

 _"It's okay Fumiko…I've got you."_

 _"Hiroki, my shoulder!" Fumiko cried, clutching her bleeding shoulder with her hand._

 _"Just hang on Fumiko, we're going to get you medical attention," Hiroki said, comforting his wife._

 _"What…what about the man?" Fumiko asked, looking down at the killer on the floor. The man lay flat on his back, a blank look on his face as a pool of blood grew around his head, where Hiroki's bullet struck him. The blood and the blank look meant only one thing: he was dead._

 _"It's okay," Hiroki continued comforting Fumiko, turning her sight away from the man's body. "He won't hurt you or the baby again."_

END FLASHBACK

* * *

"My father killed somebody once to save me…before I was even born?" Cody asked, surprised at what his grandfather had just told him. He had never thought his father would kill somebody, but now he had just been proven wrong by one of the few people who knew Hiroki very well.

"Yes," Chikara nodded. "Your father was forced to choose which life to save…and he chose the one he felt was the more precious: the life that had yet to be born."

"But did he…did he make the right choice?" Cody asked with slight hesitation.

"Usually, there is no right or wrong in this type of decision, Cody," Chikara said. "Your father did regret killing the man slightly, as he wished to see the man be brought to justice. But he had spared him, he would not have stopped and you could have died."

"So, what you're saying is…I should make the decision to kill Millenniummon and the Digimon working for him willfully, lest they destroy the entire Digital World, and potentially the Human World," said Cody. "But how will I know if it's the right choice for me?"

"You won't unless you make it," answered his grandfather. "But sometimes Cody, you must make a decision that is right not just for yourself, but for those around you, those you care greatly about."

"Like you and Mom," Cody guessed, "as well as my friends and the Digimon."

"Yes," Chikara said with another nod. "But you do not have to make that decision now, Cody. You can only make that decision when the time is right, when your friends are counting on you to make a decision."

'When the time is right…' Those words stuck with Cody, along with the rest of his grandfather's advice, as well as the story about his father, which had left him confused about what to do now.

'What should my choice be, if I have to be the one that makes it, and will it be the right one?' Cody had that as his final thought before going to sleep.

* * *

The next morning it was back to the Digital World, as it was a Saturday, the children were able to perform their Digidestined duties right after breakfast. Cody found himself grouped up with Davis, Yolei, Kari, TK, Takato and Suzie, wandering on a hill near an oil rig that led to the ocean.

As Cody walked, his sight was on Suzie. The boy had not yet been able to say much to Suzie ever since the day begun, and neither has she said much to her. What exactly could he say to her right now? He did want to apologize to her and Lopmon for his actions yesterday, but would she accept it? And could he bring himself to saying that he was sorry?

"Are you sure the Digimental of Reliability is in this area, Takato?" Davis asked as the group walked down the oil rig.

"I'm positive," Takato answered. "It's inside that oil rig right in front of us."

"So who's the Digimental for anyway?" asked Yolei. "Me and Davis already have two Digimentals each. Is it for TK, Kari or Cody? You know who it's for, right?"

"We do know, but we're not going to tell you," said Suzie. "You guys have to figure it out for yourselves."

"Poop," Yolei pouted. The group walked for the bridge leading to the oil rig, but before they could set foot on the bridge, Guilmon and Lopmon suddenly stopped in their tracks, the former growling lowly and the latter's fur sticking up on end.

"Uh oh," Takato exclaimed, realizing danger was coming. "Everybody, get ready! When Guilmon gets like this, and enemy is nearby! Guilmon, where can you can Lopmon sense the enemy?"

"The enemy…" Guilmon said, turning around and looking at the sand in the distance. "They're behind us!" An instant later, the sand flew into the air and a massive figure came out of the ground, revealed to be a giant sea scorpion with a tan shell and a sharp bladed tail.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Arata na Teki)

"Ha, ha, ha! Snack time!" the scorpion laughed.

"Scorpiomon!" TK and Kari exclaimed, recognizing the Digimon instantly.

"Who?" Cody asked, getting an answer from Takato's D-Ark.

"Scorpiomon. Ultimate level Ancient Crustacean Digimon, Data attribute. His special attack is firing a shockwave from his forelimbs called Stinger Surprise."

"You know this guy?" Yolei asked TK and Kari.

"We do," said Kari. "A Scorpiomon that worked for MetalSeadramon trapped us in a beach hut four years ago. If it wasn't for Joe and Mimi, we'd be dead!"

"How nice of you to remember me!" Scorpiomon chuckled. "I've never forgotten about you either, Digidestined!"

"Wait, you're that same Scorpiomon?!" TK asked in surprise.

"Of course, I am," said Scorpiomon. "When I was reborn, Millenniummon came to me with an offer of getting back at you Digidestined. If it wasn't for your friends beating me and escaping with you, MetalSeadramon would never have dropped me to my death! But now I'm back, and I've got a better boss than that sea snake! Speaking of which…" Scorpiomon suddenly stood up on his hind legs and clicked his forelimbs together in a rhythmic pattern.

"What's he doing?" asked Yolei. Cody looked around and his eyes widened in horror when he saw water bubbling near them.

"I think he's calling for other Digimon!" Cody's suspicion was proven true moments later when a teal serpent-like Digimon burst out of the water, glaring at the Digidestined with red eyes, a Dark Spiral on his leg.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Aku no Shutsugen)

"IT'S SEADRAMON!" TK yelled in fear, remembering when Matt was nearly strangled by one on their first night in the Digital World.

"And he's not the only one!" said Scorpiomon. "Come on out, boys!" The sand around him burst into the sky as five more Digimon appeared. One was a grey crab-like Digimon with his left claw bigger than the right, the other was a green blob with yellow eyes in a pink seashell, both of them bearing Dark Rings. The other three all looked alike: blue and white Digimon with fins and gills, oxygen tanks on their backs, and harpoons in their hands. Like Scorpiomon, they lacked a Dark Ring or Spiral, indicating their willful loyalty to Millenniummon.

"Now what?!" asked Armadillomon.

"Who are these guys now?" Cody asked.

"The grey crab is Crabmon, and the green Digimon is Syakomon," said Suzie. "They're just Rookie level Digimon, so they don't pose a threat much. It's the other three that are the problem. They're Divermon, Ultimate levels like Scorpiomon."

"Any bet that they're also the same Divermon that served MetalSeadramon?" asked Patamon.

"ATTACK!" Scorpiomon said with a loud yell, and the assault began with Seadramon striking first.

"ICE BLAST!" The sharp icy barbs flew from Seadramon's open maw at the children, forcing them to scatter.

"STINGER SURPRISE!"

"STRIKING FISH!" Scorpiomon and the Divermon trio were the next to strike, the giant crustacean sending a blade of energy flying from his forelimbs and the three small Digimon throwing their harpoons.

"Takato!" Guilmon yelled to his partner, who nodded and quickly pulled out his D-Ark and a card with dragon wings.

(Play Digimon: SLASH!)

"DIGI-MODIFY! AERO WING ACTIVATE!" Guilmon took flight as soon as his new wings appeared, his first target being Seadramon, downing the sea snake with a massive headbutt, before flying for Scorpiomon.

"PYRO SPHERE!" Scorpiomon scuttled backwards to avoid the flaming projectile and quickly buried himself under the sand.

"Armadillomon, go after him!" Cody said to his partner. "DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…STEEL KNOWLEDGE, DIGMON!"

"Help him out, Lopmon!" Suzie grabbed a card of her own to use. "DIGI-MODIFY! IRON DRILL!" Digmon's drills appeared in place of Lopmon's paws, and the two Digimon drilled underground to go after Scorpiomon.

"VEEMON DIGIVOLVE TOOO…EXVEEMON!" Once Veemon Digivolved, he flew for the center Divermon and punched him into his other two comrades. Yolei used the Digimental of Sincerity to Armor Digivolve Hawkmon, and Shurimon was fast to force the Divermon back with the sharp edges of his shuriken, dodging the harpoons with ease and agility.

"Shurimon, do you think you can tangle them up with your vines like you did Digitamamon?!" Yolei called out to her partner.

"Unfortunately not," Shurimon said, throwing his Kusanagi at a Divermon that ducked to avoid decapitation. "I need to be on solid ground for my ability to work, and we're on sand right now!"

"SCISSORS ATTACK!" Crabmon scuttled towards Gatomon and leaped at her with his giant claw snapping, but he was foolishly attacking a Champion level Digimon, who knocked Crabmon away with her Lightning Paw.

"AIR SHOT!" Patamon's air attack soared and hit Syakomon, the slime Digimon hiding away in his shell for protection from outside attacks. Opening his shell, Syakomon fired his Black Pearl Blast, attempting to hit Patamon out of the sky, but the winged mammal dodged the attack easily.

"Kari, TK! Get to the oil rig and find the Digimental!" Davis yelled out to the bearers of Hope and Light, then turned to the inheritor of Knowledge. "Cody, go with them! The Digimental may be yours!"

"Okay!" Cody started for the oil rig with Kari and TK before stopping shortly. "Wait! I need Digmon!"

"Where is he, then?" Gatomon's question was answered a second later when a column of sand burst into the air, expelling Digmon and Lopmon with Scorpiomon coming out after them.

"STINGER SURPRISE!" Digmon and Lopmon were barely able to dodge Scorpiomon's incoming attack.

"Divermon, quit fooling around!" Scorpiomon yelled out to the wetsuit-wearing trio. "Show them what we can do!"

"Right, boss!" the Divermon chorused before taking aim with their harpoons. "STRIKING FISH!" The harpoons flew through the air and began raining down on ExVeemon and Shurimon. The Divermon were able to summon more harpoons into their hands immediately after throwing the ones they had in their hands.

"Too many harpoons – AGH!" ExVeemon began to take flight and dodge the flying projectiles, but three of the harpoons tore through his wings, making him fall to the ground.

"ExVeemon!" Shurimon yelled in worry, seeing his friend in pain. The brief distraction allowed some of the Divermon's harpoons to puncture his body, enough to hurt him but not enough to force him back to Hawkmon.

"Get out of there, you two!" Takato yelled out to ExVeemon and Shurimon, turning his sight to Guilmon, who was still airborne and attempting to hit Seadramon. The attacks were futile as Seadramon submerged in the water to protect himself from the fire attacks. "Guilmon, forget Seadramon for now! ExVeemon and Shurimon need help!"

"I see them, Takato!" Guilmon turned around in the air and flew for the Divermon, only to stop short when Scorpiomon scuttled in front of him, glaring at him with icy eyes.

"Since you seem one of the most powerful here, I'll take you out first!" Scorpiomon stood up on his front legs so Guilmon was looking right into his maw. "SCORPION STORM!" A blast of sand flew from Scorpiomon's mouth and hit Guilmon head on, sending the red dinosaur out of the air and crashing into the sand.

"Oh no, Guilmon!" Takato cried, running to his partner, who was lying still on the ground. Takato shook him awake, but Guilmon didn't respond or stir to the shaking.

"That's not good at all," TK said grimly, looking at Takato and Guilmon. "Anyone that gets hit by Scorpiomon's Scorpion Storm gets put to sleep instantly!"

"Davis, I need to Digivolve!" ExVeemon called out, continuing to dodge the harpoons with Shurimon.

"Same with me, TK!" said Patamon.

"Me too, Kari!" Gatomon pitched in, throwing Crabmon on top of Syakomon.

"Do it!" Davis, Kari and TK prepared their Digimentals, but Scorpiomon immediately took notice and quickly broke away from fighting Lopmon and Digmon.

"Not so fast, children! STINGER SURPRISE!" The shockwave hit the sand in front of Davis, Kari, TK and Yolei, knocking them off their feet.

"Ow…" Yolei moaned in pain.

"Nice try, but I'm not going to let you perform your little trick," Scorpiomon said, "especially when we have our own trick that we wish to show. Lord Millenniummon!" The crustacean looked up into the sky. "Lord Millenniummon, give my soldiers the power now!"

"Of course, Scorpiomon," Millenniummon's voice echoed throughout the area as three beams of red light descended from the sky, two striking Crabmon and Syakomon, the third one going into the ocean.

"Crap!" Davis cursed, picking himself up out of the sand with Kari's help before offering TK and Yolei help up. "Not good!" The red lights faded away, revealing Crabmon's new form of Coelamon, a gray-scaled fish with strange fins that resembled hands, and Syakomon's new form of Octomon, an orange octopus with a brown helmet and horns, one tentacle holding a sword and the other holding a gun.

"Great, now they're Digivolved!" Suzie said, helping Takato and Lopmon pull Guilmon to safety.

"And I don't think they're the only ones," Cody said gravelly, looking out at the water. "One of the beams hit the ocean, and Seadramon was in there!"

"Then that means…" Takato started, and was cut off when a massive Digimon burst out of the water. The Digimon before them was bigger and longer than Seadramon, with a red and white body and a golden helmet that bore a jagged blade in the center.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tatakai no Toki)

"…MegaSeadramon!" Takato finished.

"THUNDER JAVELIN!" Blue lightning crackled from MegaSeadramon's bladed helmet, flying down and striking ExVeemon and Shurimon, knocking them to the ground. Both Digimon struggled to get back up, but Scorpiomon struck again with his Scorpion Storm, the attack causing both Digimon to fall into a deep sleep like Guilmon while reverting to Veemon and Hawkmon.

"SPURTING INK!" Octomon fired his gun at Patamon, thick black ink splattering on the tan Digimon. Patamon yelled as the ink stung his eyes, and his yells increased when Octomon slashed him in the side with his sword, leaving a deep cut on his side. Gatomon attempted to run to Patamon's aide, only for Coelamon to leap up and strike her with his Variable Darts, energy daggers flung from his claws.

"We need to find cover now!" TK said, running towards Patamon and carrying him away from the enemy Digimon. "There's too many of them!"

"Any ideas?!" Davis asked, picking Veemon up in his arms. Lopmon and Digmon continued firing their attacks, but even with Suzie's cards, it was difficult for the two Digimon to fight off seven Digimon, and half of them Ultimate level.

"Give me a minute, I just need to get a Blue Card!" Suzie said, reaching for her deck.

"No, we have to get to the oil rig for cover!" Cody insisted. "Not even Antylamon can fight them all off!"

"But, Cody…!"

"No buts!" Cody interrupted Suzie, running for the oil rig with Armadillomon in tow. "We need that Digimental!" Realizing Cody was right, the other children ran after him.

"I don't think so!" said Scorpiomon, watching the children run on the bridge. "MegaSeadramon, destroy the bridge!"

"MEGA ICE BLAST!" A blast of cold air flew from MegaSeadramon's mouth, covering the bridge in ice. The freezing temperatures immediately took effect as the bridge began cracking apart.

"Move it, move it, move it!" Yolei screamed, reaching for the door first and throwing it open. The Digidestined managed to enter the rig right as the bridge finished breaking apart, the pieces falling into the ocean.

"STINGER SURPRISE!"

"VARIABLE DARTS!" Scorpiomon and Coelamon's attacks soared through the sky and hit the oil tower, making it fall to the ground and block the way out of the rig.

"Now for the final part!" Scorpiomon jumped into the ocean with the other Digimon, hitting the pipeline with their attacks. Deep cuts were sliced into the pipeline, causing water to pour in and replace the air.

"It's flooding now!" Kari yelled.

"What do we do now?!" asked Yolei.

"Don't ask me!" Davis yelled.

"There has to be an emergency button to close the shutters!" said Takato. "Someone find it, quickly!"

"I've got it!" Suzie found the button and slammed her fist on it, allowing the shutters above them to extend out and stop the water from flowing in.

"We're saved!" Yolei cried happily.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Gatomon said, looking up at the shutters with a grave expression on her face. "With the shutters closed, we can't go back up."

"Then that means we're trapped," Patamon groaned in TK's arms, Octomon's ink still stinging.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)

"Damn it!" Davis cursed, looking out the window to see the aquatic Digimon swimming outside the pipeline. "And Scorpiomon and his goon squad are circling around outside. If we tried to escape, we wouldn't be able to fight back against them."

"And even if we could fight back, we'd probably drown," TK added. "We're really deep down here."

"Hang on, let me call for help!" Yolei quickly grabbed her D-Terminal and began to type a message, but Takato stopped her.

"No good, we won't be able to get a signal down here."

"Then that means we're truly trapped," Kari said dejectedly, sitting down against a wall and holding Gatomon close to her. "Unless…Takato, do you and Suzie have any cards that can help us fight underwater?"

"Hold on…" Takato and Suzie quickly shuffled through the cards in their decks for a few minutes before looking up.

"Sorry guys, the cards we do have are back in the human world," Suzie said, causing everybody's spirits to go down more.

"Scorpiomon and the others are still out there," Yolei said, watching MegaSeadramon swim past her sight. "I don't get it. They've got us trapped, why don't they just keep attacking the pipeline until it's completely filled up with water?"

"They know they don't need to Yolei," TK answered. "Because the shutters are closed, our air supply has been cut off. We only have a few hours of air at best before…" he didn't say anything else, but it was clear to the group what would happen soon.

"It's all my fault…" The group turned to the voice, seeing that it came from Cody. The young boy had a look of guilt on his face as he sat on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest. "Because of me, we're all going to die."

"What are you talking about, Cody?" Armadillomon asked his partner in worry.

"I was the one who made the choice that we come in here for cover," Cody explained. "And now, because of my choice, we're all trapped, and we could very well die!"

"Don't start beating yourself up over this," Armadillomon told Cody. "Yes, you had the idea of coming in here, but the rest of us chose to follow you."

"It's still my fault!" Cody insisted. "If I hadn't suggested this –"

"We'd be dead already," said Davis, walking over to the young boy. "You did what you thought was the right choice Cody, and we won't hold it against you."

"But we're still trapped."

"Not for long," Gatomon responded to Cody's answer, his sight on a nearby red object that bore a resemblance to a submersible. "According to the sign next to this object, it is an emergency escape pod."

"We're saved then!" Davis pumped his fist in the air. "All we have to do is wait for Scorpiomon and his goons to not have their eyes on us, and we can break out of here."

"But it can only fit two people," Patamon noted, looking at the escape pod himself. Everybody except Cody ran over to check out the pod. Sure enough, the small vehicle had enough room for two humans, and possibly their Digimon if they made enough room.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"That's all we need to get out of here," said Takato. "Two of us can escape from here, and they can come back with reinforcements, particularly Joe and Kenta. Their Digimon are perfect for this environment."

"But who will go?" asked Kari.

"I'll go," Suzie answered quickly, "and Cody will come with me as well." She walked over to the pod and climbed into the driver's seat, Lopmon settling into her lap.

"Okay Cody, you're next," said Davis. "Get in the pod."

"Wh-why me and Suzie? Is it because we're the youngest? I won't do it."

"Cody, this isn't the time to make a fuss about this, just get in!" Suzie called. "Don't you want to fix the mistake you're blaming yourself for?"

"Cody, please!" Kari pleaded. "We're putting all of our faith in you and Suzie!"

"I won't!" Cody insisted. "You can go on without me, Suzie! I refuse to escape because of my foolishness!"

"All right, that's it!" Davis stomped over to the young boy and grabbed his right arm. "Takato, TK! Help me out here!" The two boys ran over, TK grabbing Cody's left arm and Takato picking Cody's legs off the floor.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Power of Earth ~Iori no Theme~)

"H-hey! Guys, let me go! Let me go!" Cody's pleas were ignored as the three boys carried him to the pod and placed him into the second seat of the pod. Armadillomon leapt in seconds later and placed himself firmly on Cody's lap to prevent him from escaping. Kari pressed a button that brought down a glass door, sealing the pod.

"Remember, get Joe and Kenta!" Kari advised.

"Guys, please! Let me out of here!" Cody pounded on the pod's cockpit, but to no avail. The chamber began filling up with water. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because they believe in you Cody," Suzie answered, starting up the pod.

"Wait for it…" Yolei looked out the window intently before turning her gaze to the others. "Now! None of them are looking!"

"Launch!" Takato pressed another button and the pod shot out of the pipeline and into the ocean.

"Let's hurry!" Suzie took hold of the steering wheel and turned the craft to head straight for the surface. Fast as they moved, they were still spotted.

"Hey, we've got some escapees!" A Divermon saw the pod, and readied his harpoon. "STRIKING…!"

"Hold your fire!" Scorpiomon barked, swimming up to the Divermon. "Let them go."

"Sir?" asked the confused Divermon.

"Lord Millenniummon's orders are clear," said Scorpiomon. "He said that if a red escape pod is launched, we are to let them go."

"But why?" asked a second Divermon.

"I'm not sure myself, but I didn't bother asking," said Scorpiomon. "Lord Millenniummon's orders are never to be questioned. Whatever his intention is, it must mean something for him…"

* * *

"Finally!" Suzie breathed, climbing out of the pod once it reached land. Lopmon, Cody and Armadillomon followed out after her. "We'll have to split up once we get back Cody. You get Joe, and I'll go find Kenta."

"Why?" Cody asked, standing still near the pod. "Why did they send me with you? We're in this situation because of me, Suzie! Our friends are dying slowly because of the choice I made! I shouldn't be doing this!"

"You're absolutely right, Cody." The young boy stiffened at the sound of the dark voice and turned slowly, gasping at who he saw before him. Standing before him appeared to be Ken Ichijouji in appearance, but he knew who it really was.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)

"Millenniummon!" Suzie gasped. The girl reached for her D-Ark, but Millenniummon's hand shot up fast, dark energy flying out of it and hitting Suzie, Lopmon and Armadillomon. The three fell to the ground, the black energy binding them.

"What is this?!" Suzie strained her arms to break the energy bindings, but it was futile. Lopmon and Armadillomon's respective struggles were met with no avail as well.

"A little something to keep you out of my hair for a while," Millenniummon answered, walking towards Cody.

"Stay away from me!" Cody warned Millenniummon, backing away as he searched for something to use against the advancing Digimon, but he found nothing of use.

"Come now Cody, I just wish to talk with you."

"I'm not interested," Cody said defiantly. "Yolei told me about her encounter with you!"

"Ah, so she did," Millenniummon chuckled. "I have to admit, Yolei was quite impressive to not let our encounter shake her much at all. But I highly doubt the same will be said for you."

"Cody, run for it!" Suzie said, pulling herself up as best she could with her arms bound. "Get back to the Digital Gate!"

"Be silent!" Another wave of Millenniummon's hand, and more black energy wrapped around Suzie from her mouth to her ankles, trapping her like a mummy. "Wait your turn Suzie." Suzie could only growl in annoyance, falling on her side.

"I've always been interested by you Cody, especially your motivations," Millenniummon said, looking down at the young boy. "I'm curious why you always insist on trying to spare my Digimon minions' lives so they can see 'justice' instead of taking their lives."

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Cody answered. "Why should a bunch of kids like myself and Suzie decide if a Digimon lives or dies? Your Digimon minions are evil and they need to answer for their crimes! And the same goes for you Millenniummon! If you're smart you'll give yourself up right now! You've lost before, and you'll lose again!"

"Foolish boy," Millenniummon laughed. "I will not lose this time around, and even if I do, I'll find a way to return. I always survive. Do you honestly think you can defeat me by handcuffing me and having a court of law judge me guilty, throwing me in a jail cell?"

"It's what my father would do," Cody said quietly to himself, though from Millenniummon's continued chuckling, it was obvious he had been overheard.

"Ah yes…your father, the policeman," Millenniummon mused. "It's sad what happened to him. You miss him, don't you?"

"What?" Cody asked in surprise.

"Your father," Millenniummon looked at Cody. "It's clear that you miss him, do you not?"

"Yes," Cody answered, his head down. "Very much."

"I'm curious Cody," Millenniummon said, looking out at the ocean. "Do you think defeating me will help you be at peace with your father's death? Because I can tell you that you're wrong in that assumption."

"What are you talking about?" Cody asked, his head snapping back up.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," Millenniummon smirked as he approached Cody slowly. "Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?" Cody attempted to get away, but more of Millenniummon's dark energy sprung forth from the ground and lashed around his ankles, immobilizing him.

"Now then, shall we stroll down memory lane?" Millenniummon placed his hand on Cody's head, and everything went dark for Cody. The young boy found himself in a dark void for several moments before it finally turned into a busy area of Japan filled with people.

"Where…where am I?" Cody looked around and stopped suddenly when he saw a hotel near him. A hotel that looked very familiar to him…

"Tell me Cody," a voice from behind him said, "does this place remind you of something?" Cody turned and gasped when he saw Millenniummon standing before him.

"What did you do to me?!" Cody demanded. "Where are we?"

"We're in the past," Millenniummon answered, "specifically…March of 1999." Cody froze at the words, his eyes widening. Millenniummon smiled evilly as he looked at the young boy. "Ah, you are being reminded."

"Why are you doing this?" Cody breathed.

"You'll find out," Millenniummon answered, looking at the hotel entrance. "Ah…look who's here on time." Cody looked to where Millenniummon was watching, and he felt his breathing hitch. At the entrance of the hotel were several men, one of them wearing a black business suit and the others all dressed in police officer outfits. Cody's eyes laid on one man in particular who was at the front of the group.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Hashiru Senritsu)

"Dad…" he breathed, watching his father and the other officers tend to the man. The inheritor of Knowledge could barely restrain himself as he ran towards the group. "Dad! It's me, Cody!" Cody ran in to hug his father, only to gasp as he ran right past Hiroki and the other men.

"What?!" he gasped and looked down at himself. "What was that?"

"These are memories of the past," Millenniummon answered, appearing next to Cody. "You cannot manipulate the events before you, or modify the outcome. What we shall see is how it happened."

"No…no!" Cody gasped, looking at the scene before him. Hiroki and the other cops were escorting the politician to his car when Hiroki saw something up high flash in the sunlight, and he looked up. Cody looked up as well, gasping when he saw a man in the distance with a gun aimed at the men.

"Oh, no!" Hiroki gasped, catching the attention of the other men.

"Hiroki, what is it?" asked one of the officers.

"SNIPER!" Hiroki yelled as a shot was fired and hit the politician in the shoulder.

"Sir, are you all right?!" one of the officers asked the politician, who held his bleeding shoulder.

"I'm not. Get me out of here, fast!" the politician said as Hiroki saw the sniper preparing to shoot again.

"Watch out!" he yelled, running for the man.

"Dad, no!" Cody yelled, but it was futile as he watched his father continue running.

"Say goodbye to Daddy, Cody," Millenniummon chuckled.

BLAM!

"Hiroki!" the first officer yelled in shock, seeing his fellow cop fall to the ground, a bloodstain on his shirt growing fast.

"Hida's down!" the second officer ran to Hiroki and picked his head off the ground. "Where's that damn sniper?!"

"Up…there…" Hiroki gasped, pointing up to the building he saw the man shoot from.

"All units, we have a sniper in our area, shots fired!" the third officer barked into his radio, pulling the politician back into the hotel for medical attention. "The candidate is hurt, and one of our men has been shot! We need immediate medical attention!"

"Hiroki, hang on man, we're going to get a doctor for you," the second officer assured Hiroki.

"Don't worry…about…me," Hiroki gasped, a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth. "Make sure he's safe…and get that sniper for me. Bring him to justice…" Hiroki's breathing began coming out much faster and more shallow as he began losing consciousness.

"Dad…no…" Cody whispered, shaking terribly at the scene before him. He felt his eyes water, but he didn't bother wiping them away. Another dark chuckle caused Cody to glare angrily at Millenniummon, who seemed to be taking a pleasure in watching Cody's misery.

"Stop this! Why are you doing this to me?! What is the point of all of this, if there is a point to this at all!"

"There is a point," said Millenniummon. "Tell me Cody, do you know what happened after your father died? What became of the sniper?"

"They searched for six months," Cody answered bitterly. "The sniper had committed suicide once they found him, he had been dead for two of those months. The police found evidence that exposed a corrupt politician who wanted the man my father protected dead. He was the one who hired the sniper. He was arrested…"

"But it didn't give you the satisfaction of seeing justice being done for your father, did it?" Millenniummon asked. "Though the mastermind of the assassination attempt was arrested, the sniper never was, and it left you unhappy that your father never got the justice you wanted for him?"

"N-no," Cody found himself saying.

"And thus we learn your reason," Millenniummon said. "You think bringing me in will be the same, will it?"

"Y…yes."

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Shizuka na Fuan)

"Your quest is pointless Cody," Millenniummon sneered at the boy. "Even if you do lock me away I'll continue escaping until you have to destroy me. But you don't have the strength to make that choice, do you?" Cody could not say anything else, prompting Millenniummon continue on. "That's what I thought. You'll never be relied on by anybody Cody, because for all your talk of doing good and bringing people to justice, you're just a naïve little boy constantly crying for Daddy. You make me laugh, because you look absolutely pathetic!" Millenniummon laughed loudly, and Cody gasped as he felt himself being pulled out of the vision of the city, and he found himself back in the Digital World, lying on the ground with Millenniummon standing over him, and Suzie, Armadillomon and Lopmon still struggling in their energy bonds.

"And I think my work here is done." Millenniummon vanished into a portal, the energy bonds disappearing from Suzie and the Digimon once he was gone.

"Cody, what happened?" Armadillomon asked, running over to his partner. "You and Millenniummon were sitting there for several minutes. What did he do to you?" There was no answer. Cody simply sat on his knees, looking shell-shocked.

"Cody, what's wrong?" asked Lopmon. Still no answer.

"Cody come on, say something!" Suzie yelled, and Cody answered.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Seijaku)

"Millenniummon was right," Cody said softly. "All of my choices, my insistence on sparing the Digimon…all because I wanted to try and make peace with my father's death."

"Cody…" Armadillomon said sadly.

"How can I do this, Armadillomon?" Cody asked. "How can I make the hard decisions like the others and my father? How can I be someone to be relied on if I'm unable to make these choices?" Suzie looked at Cody with a look of pity and sadness before sighing.

"I wish I could say something to make you better Cody, but I have nothing," she said. "All I can say right now is that I'm really sorry about what I said to you yesterday about your father, but we have to get back to Odaiba now and get Joe and Kenta. Time is short for our friends."

"Come on Cody, don't be so down right now," said Armadillomon. "They need us!"

"R-right!" Cody took in a deep breath and began heading for the Digital Gate with the others, but in his head, he was still doubting himself.

* * *

 _Bang…bang…bang…bang…_

"Oh, for god's sake!" Yolei groaned. "Davis, could you please stop hitting your head on the railing? It's annoying, and it's likely to give you a headache!"

"Well, I'm not doing it because I feel like doing it!" Davis said, looking up at her. "Just like with you and your foot-tapping!"

"Well, excuse me!"

"Stop this!" Takato interrupted the arguing. "I know being trapped in this oil rig isn't doing good things for us, but we can't be bickering with each other right now!"

It had been nearly a half-hour since Cody and Suzie had been sent up to the surface to get help, and in the time that had passed, Guilmon, Hawkmon and Veemon had finally woken up from Scorpiomon's attack, and TK was able to tend to Patamon's injuries. Unfortunately, the children had little to nothing much to do while they waited.

"You're right Takato," Davis sighed.

"We're sorry," said Yolei.

"In the meantime, maybe we can play a game," Takato pulled out his Digimon cards. "I have a few cards that we can use to play…"

"How can you think of playing games in a situation like this?" Hawkmon questioned Takato's idea.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Sorosoro Yuuhan da ne)

"Because it's definitely better than worrying about dying right now," said Takato. "Besides, I believe in Cody and Suzie bringing back help. Just like I believe in Joe and Kenta getting us out of here."

"I believe in them too, but we do have a bit of a time limit," said Yolei.

"If they don't hurry back, we'll run out of air," said Kari. "Or worse, if Scorpiomon and the others get bored of waiting for our air supply to run out, they'll attack us again, and we'll drown in the flooding!"

'Drowning…' Takato thought suddenly, looking out the window to see the ocean outside as an idea came to him. It worked before when he first came to this world, so could it work again? And was it worth trying out before more help arrived?

"Hey guys, where are TK and Patamon?" Veemon asked suddenly, looking around the room. "And where's Guilmon?"

"Guilmon?" Takato looked around and saw his partner wasn't with them, nor were TK and Patamon. "Guilmon, where are you?"

"They couldn't have gotten far," said Gatomon. "There's not many places to go to right now in the oil rig." The sound of something clanging on something else from down below began filling everybody's ears, making Veemon look down at a lower level of the rig.

"Guys, I found them! It looks like they're digging for something!" Going down the stairs, the group saw TK striking the floor with a pickaxe in his hands. Guilmon was with him, using his Rock Breaker to break open the ground.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Happy Friends ~Takeru no Theme~)

"TK, what are you and Guilmon doing?" asked Kari.

"We're trying to find the Digimental," Patamon answered, sitting on TK's hat. "TK thinks it's buried somewhere here."

"Is this really the right time to find the Digimental?" Yolei looked confused.

"Maybe not," TK continued striking the ground, "but it's better than just sitting around and waiting for Cody and Suzie to get back. Besides, if the Digimental is down here, and it's meant for either Kari or me, it could help us out a bit."

"TK's right," Davis ran over to a closet and found another pickaxe. "Everybody, grab a tool and start digging!"

"Right!" As Kari, Yolei and their partners went over with Veemon to get digging tools, Takato pulled Guilmon away from the group.

"Guilmon I need you to come with me," the goggled boy led his partner to the other side of the room.

"Are we going to look for the Digimental over here, Takato?"

"No, I'm pretty sure the Digimental of Reliability is over there," Takato gestured to where the Digidestined were digging. "I want to test something out. If it works, then maybe we can help out once our backup arrives."

"Okay, so what do you want me to do?" asked Guilmon.

"I want you to dig a hole big enough and deep enough for someone to swim in, and then we fill it up with water," Takato explained to Guilmon. "Can you do that?"

"Okay!" Guilmon slammed his claws into the ground and he began digging away, Takato using a card to give Guilmon extra speed in digging.

* * *

Cody and Suzie yelled out as they landed in the warehouse through the Digital Gate, looking up to see nobody else in with them.

"All right. Joe's probably at medical school right now. Cody, you get him. I'll go and find Kenta."

"School?" Cody voiced. "What school?"

"The Shinagawa cram school!" Suzie answered, running out of the warehouse, Cody following after her.

"Wait! What if I can't get Joe to leave his classes? What if they won't allow it?"

"Just tell them that a family emergency has come up and that Joe is needed."

"What?!" Cody yelled in indignation. "But Suzie, I can't just lie!"

"You won't be, trust me!" Suzie continued running. "Now hurry, there's not much time left!"

"We're counting on you Cody!" Lopmon called out before Suzie was far out of hearing distance. Cody simply looked at the direction Suzie ran off to in disbelief at what Suzie had just told him to do.

"Cody? Hey, Cody!" Armadillomon yelled. "Are we going or what?"

"Oh, right!" Cody quickly picked up Armadillomon and ran for the school Suzie told him to go to, though it was difficult owing to Armadillomon's weight. Finally, he made it to the right place and went in while Armadillomon hid outside in the bushes.

"Joe Kido, you say?" the school receptionist replied to Cody's request, looking through a clipboard. "Sorry son, but I'm afraid he's taking a test right now, and we have a policy not allowing anybody to be called out of a test."

"What?" a shocked Cody asked. "But…but you don't understand! I need Joe immediately! I'm being depended on to get him!"

"Is there some kind of emergency?" asked the receptionist. "If it's some kind of emergency that involves a family member in an accident, then that would be a different story and he would be allowed to leave early."

"Well…" Cody hesitated, wondering what to say. He never wanted to lie, as it was always a bad choice, but if he did nothing, then Davis and the others would perish.

"Son?" the receptionist asked. "Is something wrong?" In that moment, Cody finally acted.

"It is a family emergency! A couple of his relatives nearly drowned!"

"I see," said the receptionist, nodding in understanding. "Give me a moment to call him up."

* * *

Minutes later, Joe was bolting down the street with Cody and Armadillomon, Gomamon riding in his bag. The minute Cody explained the situation to him, the bearer of Reliability immediately ran out of the school.

"Man, this is just great!" Joe groaned, pulling out his cell phone and pressing some numbers. "At least I can retake the test tomorrow…"

"I'm really sorry Joe!" Cody panted from running. "If there's any way I can make it up…"

"Don't worry about it Cody," Joe replied. "You did what you had to."

"But…" Cody started, before seeing Joe with his phone. "Joe, what are you doing?"

"Calling Izzy," Joe held up the phone to his ear. "Kenta may be coming to help us, but if we're fighting Scorpiomon _and_ MegaSeadramon, then we'll need as much help as we can get."

"But your partner and Kenta's partner are the only Digimon that can work well underwater without cards, right?"

"Yes, but we also have Digimon friends that can fit that criteria, one in particular," Joe said, finally getting an answer on his phone.

"Hello? Joe?" Izzy's voice asked through the phone.

"Izzy, Davis and his team are in trouble underwater. I need you to call an old friend of ours."

"What friend?"

* * *

 _CRACK!_

(Play Digimon Adventure: Kanshou)

With one swing from Davis's pickaxe, a small rock formation broke away in the crater the Digidestined had created from several minutes of digging in the floor, revealing a purple and white object that looked like a bottle. A symbol resembling a cross with four triangles branded on the purple side of the object was seen by everyone.

"The Digimental of Reliability," Yolei breathed.

"Now let's see whose it is." Kari walked up to the Digimental and attempted to lift it. "No dice!"

"Is it mine, then?" TK tried to lift it as well, but was met with no success. Davis and Yolei also tried as well just in case, but were met with equal disappointment.

"So this is Cody's Digimental," said Gatomon.

"Which means all we can do now is wait," Davis said, wiping some sweat off his brow. "Hopefully Cody and Suzie have managed to get Joe and…Kenta." The burgundy-haired boy looked up to see Takato and Guilmon in a corner of the room, and judging from Guilmon digging into the ground, it seemed like they were searching for the Digimental themselves.

"Hey Takato, Guilmon!" he called out. "We already found the Digimental, you don't have to keep digging anymore!"

"We're not digging for the Digimental," Takato called back.

"What are you doing over there, then?" asked TK.

"Testing a theory," Takato answered shortly before turning back to the hole. "All right Guilmon, I think that's deep enough." Guilmon nodded and climbed out of the hole he dug, which was eight feet deep.

"Takato, what are you planning?"

"Hang on," Takato replied to Davis, feeling a spot on the wall. "All right Guilmon, right here."

"ROCK BREAKER!" Guilmon's claws slammed into the wall, creating a hole that caused some of the water to come into the rig and fill up the hole.

"Takato, what are you doing?!" Kari gasped, shocked at Guilmon's actions.

"Are you trying to kill us faster?!" asked Yolei.

"Relax guys, I'm not flooding the entire place, just the hole," Takato gestured to the hole, almost full with water.

"For what purpose?" Gatomon inquired.

"Hang on." Once he determined the hole was full enough, Takato swiped a card that gave Guilmon Frigimon's Subzero Ice Punch attack, allowing the red Digimon to freeze the hole shut. "Like I said before, I want to test a theory, and if it works, then it might help us out a lot."

"What theory?" asked Veemon.

"You'll see," Takato said, walking over to the hole and climbing down into it. "Watch!" The goggled boy submerged himself fully into the hole, leaving everybody but Guilmon confused.

"Okay, what's going on?" Davis asked with a bewildered look.

"I don't know, but I guess all we can do right now is watch and wait for Takato," TK replied, and everybody sat down on the floor, waiting for Takato to emerge from the hole again.

* * *

"I came as soon as Suzie told me!" Kenta said, running into the warehouse to meet up with Joe and Cody, Betamon resting in his arms. "Are we going now?"

"Yes, now that you're here," said Joe, bringing up the Digital Gate. Suzie ran into the warehouse with Lopmon, closing the door behind her.

"All right, I just need to punch in some new coordinates that Izzy gave me," said Joe. "We're meeting up with an old Digidestined ally that can help us out here, and…there we go!" The bespectacled boy looked up from the computer. "Everything's ready to go. Cody, do you want to open the gate?" He received no answer. "Cody?" Joe looked up to see Cody sitting in a chair nearby, his eyes pointing down to the floor.

"Cody, what is it?" asked Kenta.

"You guys can go ahead aleady," Cody said in a soft voice. "I-I can't go."

"What?!" gasped everybody.

"Don't be ridiculous Cody, you can't stay here!" insisted Joe. "Everybody's counting on us to save them."

"No Joe," Cody answered. "They're counting on you. You're the one with the Crest of Reliability."

"Yeah, I do have that trait, but it's not always just me," Joe countered. "They're counting on you to be there with the help you've brought."

"That's not what Millenniummon says," Cody replied, surprising Joe and Kenta.

"Millenniummon?! What are you saying, Cody?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Omoi ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"Millenniummon came to me once I escaped the oil rig with Suzie, and he showed me the day my father dies, while mocking me and telling me how I was unreliable, not thinking of everybody and just my desire to be at peace with my father, and always making the wrong choices. And he was right!" Cody breathed heavily, feeling his eyes watering and stinging slightly. "Because I spared Ninjamon, many Digimon died yesterday. I was the one who made the decision for our group to hide in the oil rig, but it only caused us to get trapped! And now Davis and the others are going to die because of me. I'm not a Digidestined that can be counted on at all. I'm just a kid. A stupid little kid!" The dam finally burst and the tears began going down hard on his cheeks. The others could only watch Cody with expressions of sadness and pity.

"Cody." The young boy's crying slowed down as he felt someone's hands on his shoulders. Judging from the sound of the voice, the hands belonged to Joe.

"You may still be a kid, but you're certainly not stupid," the older boy reassured him. "You just have a lot to learn."

"W-what?"

"Yeah, you did make some bad choices," Kenta said, walking forward. "But it's not too late to make up for your mistakes and do better."

"But how can I do that?" Cody asked, wiping his tears away.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Tomodachi ~Tatakai no Theme~)

"Well, you should really stop trying to put all the responsibility on yourself for starters," Joe said. "I can see what you're trying to do Cody, but it won't work. Being the oldest, I thought at first that I had to have all that on myself, and Sora tried as well, but the thing is we're all in this together, and we each have our own responsibility to the team."

"But…the choice I made today, the oil rig…"

"Cody, we didn't go in that rig because of your choice," said Suzie. "You didn't make us go in with you, we decided to follow you ourselves."

"But why did you do that?"

"Because we made the choice to go after you," said Lopmon. "We weren't going to let you go in there alone."

"Yeah!" said Kenta. "You didn't force them Cody."

"And you made the right choice coming for me," said Joe. "You could have chosen to not come after you met Millenniummon, but you chose to still come back and get me. You didn't give up on yourself."

"Y-yeah, I did," said Cody. "And…and that means the others aren't giving up on me?"

"No, they aren't," Kenta reassured the boy. "They know you'll be back Cody." The inheritor of Knowledge was quiet and let the words simmer, realizing they were right. Even after Millenniummon's mental torture of him, he was still able to muster enough to return and find Joe, believing he could find him in time.

"I…I guess you're right," said Cody. "But what about my other choices, everything I've done up to now?"

"From what you've told us, you've been making these choices based on your past and your father's death," said Lopmon. "But you shouldn't let that rule your life entirely Cody, nor should you let it influence your decisions."

"Sometime you just have to act on instinct," said Kenta, "and decide what's best not just for you, but for the team."

"But I still lied," Cody said sadly. "I said that there was a family emergency that required Joe, but there wasn't."

"Technically Cody…you weren't lying," Joe said, much to Cody's surprise.

"Huh?!"

"As Digidestined and Tamers, we're not just friends," said Kenta. "We're family. We leave no one behind."

"So you were telling the truth when you said it was a family emergency," said Joe. "The only question is, what's your choice? Come back with us and help the family that's relying on you, or stay here?" Cody thought long and hard before the answer finally came to him.

"I'm coming. I can't leave them behind now, especially when I have people counting on me! It's time I showed my own reliability!" Cody walked over to the computer and held up his D-3. Moments later, the group found themselves on a hill near the ocean.

"Wait, where are we?" Armadillomon asked, looking around. "I don't see the oil rig!"

"That's because if we headed to the oil rig right away, we'd be raising the alarm," said Joe. "Izzy sent us here so we could get a better drop on Scorpiomon, as well as meet up with an old friend."

"What old friend?" Cody's question was answered almost immediately when a massive whale Digimon emerged from the water and next to the team.

(Play Digimon Adventure 02: Tanomoshii Nakamatachi)

"Hey, Whamon!" Joe called out to the Digimon, waving with a big smile on his face. "It's great to see you again!"

"It's great to see you as well Joe, Gomamon," Whamon said to the duo of Reliability.

"Hey, you look smaller since we last saw you," Gomamon noted, looking over Whamon. "Did you lose weight?"

"Sort of," Whamon answered with a slight chuckle at Gomamon's joke. "When I died helping you fight MetalSeadramon, I was in my Ultimate form. After being reborn, I've been in my Champion level since then."

"But you'll still be big enough to help us out, right?" asked Joe.

"Yes," Whamon answered. "Izzy told me about your troubles, and I'll be more than happy to help out. By the way, who are the others with you? I don't think I've ever seen them before."

"They're new friends," Joe introduced the three kids with him. "This is Cody, one of the new Digidestined. And Suzie and Kenta here are part of their own group called the Digimon Tamers."

"Well, any friends of the Digidestined's are friends of mine!" Whamon said happily.

"H-hi there," Kenta walked up to the edge of the hill so he could be closer to Whamon. "I'm Kenta, and my partner Betamon here," he gestured to the green amphibian Digimon, "can also Digivolve into a Whamon as well!"

"Really?" Whamon asked with interest. "That doesn't sound much surprising, considering what type he is. Champion or Ultimate?"

"Oh, he Digivolves to the Ultimate variation," Kenta answered. "And I think that could help us out here."

"How so?" Cody asked.

"Well, let me explain, and let me make it quick. We've already wasted enough time."

* * *

Back at the oil rig, the Digidestined and Guilmon continued sitting in front of the water hole, waiting for Takato to emerge.

"Uh, guys…" Yolei said nervously. "How long has Takato been in that hole again?"

"Ten minutes," TK answered with a frown. "Something's not right here. There's no way Takato can hold his breath for that long."

"Should we do something?" Hawkmon inquired.

"Just hang on!" Guilmon said, looking at the hole closely. "I think I can see Takato coming back!"

Sure enough, Takato's head broke the surface and he climbed out of the hole, looking relatively none the worse for wear.

"Takato, are you all right?!" Kari ran over with Davis and Gatomon.

"I'm fine," Takato said with a small laugh. "In fact, I'm more than fine! Feel my hair!"

"What?!" Davis asked, surprised at Takato's request.

"Feel my hair," Takao repeated and bent his head down. "Do it, come on!" Davis did as Takato asked, and to his great surprise, the mane of brown hair before him was not damp in the slightest, but…

"Dry!" Davis exclaimed. "His hair is dry!"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Yukikau Hitobito)

"And so are his clothes!" Kari said, touching Takato's sweatshirt.

"What? There's no way that's possible." Yolei and TK walked over to feel, and to their great surprise, Takato was dry as a bone. "Then again…"

"Takato, how are you dry?" TK asked, equally astonished.

"It's something I learned with Henry in our Digital World," Takato explained. "You see, water in the Digital World isn't real. Since we're in the water, we think we'll get wet, but if we dive in without thinking about drowning…"

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold on a minute!" said Davis. "Are you saying that if we think that we can breathe underwater in the Digital World, then it will happen?" Takato nodded.

"Then why the hell didn't you tell us this from the beginning?!" Yolei yelled, annoyed that they were stuck down here when they could have gotten out at any time.

"A couple of reasons," Takato said, holding up his fingers so he could count. "One: Our Digimon were hurt badly from the fight, so if we tried to get out right away, Scorpiomon and his forces would kill us with no problem. And two, there are differences between your Digital World and our Digital World, so there was no telling if it would work here."

"But now we know that it does," said Gatomon. "So, will we be able to get out of here now?"

"Not yet," Takato gestured to the object behind them. "We still need Cody to pull out the Digimetal of Reliability."

"Where is Cody anyway?" Yolei said, looking out the viewport. "I don't see…wait!"

"What is it, Yolei?" asked Hawkmon.

"I hope I'm not seeing things but…I think Zudomon and Whamon are coming!"

"Let me see!" Kari ran over and saw to her delight, Zudomon swimming towards them with Whamon behind him. "It is them!"

"Sorry to keep you wai-!" Zudomon was suddenly cut off when a blast of energy hit him in the side, knocking him to the ground. Groaning and standing back up on the ocean floor, Zudomon glared at his attacker.

(Play Digimon Adventure: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Ready for round two, Zudomon?" Scorpimono cackled, landing in front of his old rival.

"Anytime, clam head!" Zudomon charged forward with a yell and swung his hammer down, only for Scorpiomon to dodge the attack. Whamon swam down to aid his friend but was swatted away by MegaSeadramon, aided by the Divermon.

"THUNDER JAVELIN!" Whamon rolled to dodge the attack before delivering his own.

"JET ARROW!" The jet stream hit MegaSeadramon, but it had no affect on him and the Divermon threw their harpoons at him. Fortunately for Whamon, the projectiles barely hurt him and he swatted the trio away with his massive tail.

"Come on guys! You got this!" Davis called out to the two Digimon. Zudomon threw his hammer at Scorpimon at it hit a rock instead. Scorpiomon counterattacked quickly with his Stinger Surprise, hitting Zudomon in the chest.

"Zudomon!" TK and Patamon called out before the oil rig began shaking, and to the shock of the group, the wall began cracking apart, water pouring in.

"Get back, get back!" Takato pushed the others away from the wall, knowing what would happen next. In the next moment, the wall broke apart completely and to everybody's surprise Whamon burst into the room.

"Whamon?!" Veemon asked in surprise. "How did you get past MegaSeadramon?" His question was answered when the whale Digimon opened his mouth, revealing Joe, Cody, Armadillomon, Suzie and Lopmon.

"The Whamon out there is Kenta's partner," Joe explained. "This Whamon is an old friend."

"Kari, TK," Whamon greeted the two kids he was most familiar with. "It is good to see you again. You're looking very well."

"You too, Whamon," TK replied. "If that's Kenta's partner out there, then where's Kenta?"

"He's inside his partner," said Cody. "Kenta had the idea that since his partner could become a Whamon as well, he and Zudomon would fight Scorpiomon's forces…"

"…allowing us to sneak in undetected and pick you guys up!" said Joe. "Now hurry and get inside-!"

"ARGH!" Whamon suddenly yelled out in pain.

"Whamon, what's wrong?!" asked Lopmon.

"Somebody's attacking me from behind!" Gatomon quickly ran over to the viewport, looking out of it to see Octomon stabbing Whamon in the back with his sword, and Coelamon biting on his tail.

"I forgot about those two!" she said. "Someone has to take care of them!"

"Right," Davis nodded. "Cody, get down here! We found the Digimental, and we think it's yours!"

"Mine?" Cody sounded surprised.

"Yes, yours!" called out Veemon. "Now get down here!"

"Well, okay then," Cody said, reluctantly climbing out of Whamon and Armadillomon and Joe. Whamon moved his tail up and down in an attempt to shake off Octomon and Coelamon, but the two Digimon were persistent in attacking him.

"Is this truly my Digimental?" Cody asked, looking down at the crater the item lay in.

"It is yours Cody, and you deserve it," said Joe. "Even after everything Millenniummon had done to you, and your past choices, you were able to pull through and help out everybody here when they needed you, and you believed you could do it as well. That's what it means to be reliable.

"Joe…" Cody sounded touched at the older boy's words before his face dropped down into an expression of determination. "All right then…here it goes!"

Taking a deep breath, Cody placed his hands on the Digimental and pulled. A second later and the object popped out of the hole and rested in his hands, suddenly glowing a soft purple light.

(Play Digimon: Break Up!)

"Cody!" The young boy looked over to Armadillomon upon hearing his partner call out to him. The duo locked eyes for a moment and nodded to each other, knowing what was to happen.

"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" Cody's yell echoed through the oil rig and the Digimental's glowing light grew brighter, floating out of his hands and merging with Armadillomon, who was bathed in the purple light.

" **ARMADILLOMON ARMOR DIGIVOLVE TOOO…!** " The light faded and standing in Armadillomon's place was a white Digimon with a long spiked nose similar to a swordfish. White fins and two small legs propped him up, and a glass dome rested on top of him.

" **…WHIRLING RELIABILITY, SUBMARIMON!** "

"Wow, Reliability is definitely something!" Davis said in awe.

"Is he a swordfish?" asked Yolei. Takato answered with his D-Arc.

"Submarimon. Armor level Aquatic type Digimon, Vaccine attribute. Shaped like a submarine, he's said to be one of the fastest Digimon underwater. His special attacks are Oxygen Torpedo and Submarine Attack."

"Cody, get in!" SUbmarimon said, the glass dome sliding back to reveal a flat surface for someone to lie on, with two handles in front. Getting the message, Cody ran over and climbed into his partner, lying on his stomach and taking the handles in hand.

"Everybody, get into Whamon!" Cody looked to his friends. "Submarimon and I will divert their attention to us!"

"Let's do what he says guys!" Davis said, leading everybody into Whamon. However, Takato and Suzie ran over to Submarimon, jumping on his left side with Guilmon and Lopmon jumping on his right side.

"What the – guys, what are you doing?!" Cody asked, taken aback at what they were doing.

"Just go!" said Takato. "Trust me on this, Cody." Cody looked hesitant, but seeing the sincerity in Takato's eyes, Cody nodded and pushed the handles forward.

"Let's move on out!" Submarimon charged forward, tearing through the pipeline walls and into the water, where Zudomon and Kenta's Whamon continued having difficulty fighting Scorpiomon, MegaSeadramon and the Divermon.

"Guilmon and I are going to help Kenta!" Takato declared, Cody looking surprised that Takato was able to talk underwater. "Once you take care of Octomon and Coelamon, help Zudomon!"

"Good luck," Suzie nodded, and Takato kicked off of Submarimon and swam for MegaSeadramon with Guilmon.

"How are you able to talk underwater?!" Cody asked, finally getting his voice back.

"This is the Digital World Cody, everything here is not like Earth!" said Suzie. "Now let's get going!"

"R-right!" Cody acknowledged and guided Submarimon to where Octomon and Coelamon were.

"OXYGEN TORPEDO!" Once within range, Submarimon fired giant shots of pressurized air from the ports on the sides of his spiked nose. The shots connected with Coelamon, making him release the grip his jaw had on Whamon's tail. Turning at his attacker, Coelamon fired his Variable Darts, Submarimon easily dodging the energy blades.

"SPURTING INK!" Octomon diverted his attention from attacking Whamon and fired his ink at Submarimon, but thanks to Suzie using a card that gave Lopmon Seadramon's Ice Blast, the attack was stopped in mid-flight and froze solid.

"Come and get us, fish-bait!" Submarimon taunted, swimming away from the oil rig. Octomon and Coelamon followed. Once they were a considerable distance away, Whamon back out of the oil rig and swam up for the surface with Joe and the rescued team in his mouth.

* * *

"Hey, there's another Whamon!" one of the Divermon said, taking notice of the escape.

"What?!" The other two Divermon noticed the escaping aquatic Digimon.

"Wait a minute! This whole thing was a distraction!" the second Divermon looked from the departing Whamon and the Whamon they were fighting, the latter suddenly glowing bright yellow and shrinking. The light faded and the second Whamon was suddenly replaced with a small pink Digimon with wings, and a human boy with glasses.

"Surprise!" Kenta taunted the four Digimon and MarineAngemon chirped at them, small chirpings being the only noises he could make to talk with anybody in his Mega form.

"That's it!" the third Divermon said, gripping his harpoon tightly. "Nobody gets the drop on us like that! MegaSeadramon, go after that Whamon! We're going to stick this kid and his little fairy! STRIKING FISH!"

"OCEAN LOVE!" MarineAngemon acted quickly, his heart-shaped bubbles stopping the harpoons in their tracks. It mattered little to the Divermon trio as they easily made new harpoons appear in their hands.

"Your little hearts won't protect you forever, boy!" a Divermon yelled, pulling back and throwing his harpoon again.

"Then it's a good thing he's not alone!" Swimming up to the fight, Takato managed to grab the harpoon and tossed it back at its owner. The projectile made contact with him, imbedding itself in his shoulder.

"GYYAHH!" The Divermon leader made to pull out the harpoon, but was suddenly incinerated by Growlmon's Exhaust Flame.

"Kenta, stop MegaSeadramon! Leave the Divermon to us!"

"Be careful!" Kenta cautioned Takato and swam to MegaSeadramon with MarineAngemon. The red sea serpent was almost to Whamon, but was stopped suddenly by the small Digimon.

"OCEAN LOVE!" The hearts flew out and hit MegaSeadramon in the face, making him back away. More hearts were created, and the feeling they produced kept MegaSeadramon from pursuing Whamon aggressively, as well as fighting.

"Now's our chance!" Kenta acted quickly with a card to give MarineAngemon an attack that could actually do damage. "DIGI-MODIFY! KABUTERIMON ACTIVATE!" MarineAngemon acted fast, flying down to MegaSeadramon's tail and firing Kabuterimon's Electro Shocker at the Spiral. The electric-based move reacted violently in the water, overloading the Dark Spiral in a matter of seconds and blowing it apart, leaving no trace behind.

"Good job buddy!" Kenta praised his partner, stroking his cheek with one finger and looking up at Whamon's retreating form, glad that he was able to help today. "It's smooth sailing from here for our friends."

"Pii-pii pu!"

* * *

"SPURTING INK!"

"VARIABLE DARTS!"

Submarimon weaved through the ocean to dodge Octomon and Coelamon's repeated attacks, Suzie and Lopmon clinging on tightly. The plan was simple: Lead Octomon and Coelamon away from the oil rig, and then attack them once they were far enough away.

"How much further, Cody?" asked Submarimon. "I can't keep dodging this forever!"

"It depends," Cody answered. "Suzie, has Whamon made it to safety?"

"Yeah, he's made it out with the others."

"Then let's turn around!" Submarimon stopped and turned around, now heading for Coelamon and Octomon.

"Cody, you and Submarimon take care of Coelamon! We've got Octomon handled!" Suzie and Lopmon detached themselves from the white Digimon and swam for the cephalopod Digimon, who brandished his gun and sword.

"SPURTING INK!" Lopmon swatted the ink away with her ears and pelted him in the face with her Blazing Ice. Snarling at the irritating feeling the attack caused, Octomon swung his sword at Lopmon, nearly cutting her open.

"No, you don't!" Putting to use the Tai Chi she learned from her father and Henry, Suzie swam for Octomon and lifted her foot up, kicking the sword out of Octomon's tentacle. Catching the blade, the girl swung it at the tentacle Octomon was holding his gun in. The octopus screamed from the cut left by the sword and dropped his gun, leaving him defenseless. Suzie was not done yet. Releasing the sword, Suzie grabbed Octomon by the horns and swam down with him, slamming the Digimon into the rocks.

"Now's your chance Lopmon! DIGI-MODIFY! POWER CHARGER ACTIVATE!" Suzie's card swipe charged up Lopmon's next Blazing Ice, the barbs freezing the Dark Ring on Octomon's head solid and breaking it apart.

"All right Lopmon!"

"You weren't too bad yourself Suzie," Lopmon noted to her partner with a small smile, impressed with Suzie's skills against Lopmon.

"VARIABLE DARTS!"

"OXYGEN TORPEDO!" Coelamon and Submarimon's attacks collided and the two Digimon swam past the explosion caused by the collision to engage each other physically, Coelamon slashing Submarimon in the side.

"Agh!" Submarimon groaned from the scratches. "Coelamon is moving better than me in the water Cody. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I might have one," said Cody. "See if you can dig underneath the ocean floor and get Coelamon to follow us!"

"Okay!" Spinning his nose like he would Digmon's drills, Submarimon dropped down to the ocean floor, drilling into it and going under. Seeing his opponent attempting to escape, Coelamon followed them into the tunnel which ended several feet away when Submarimon burst out of the sandy floor and stop near the hole.

"Wait for it…" Cody cautioned his partner, gripping the handles tightly. The wait ended when Coelamon came out of the tunnel looking for Submarimon, whose gaze was locked on the Dark Ring.

"Now!"

"SUBMARINE ATTACK!" Coelamon turned and his eyes widened in surprise seeing Submarimon charge for him. The fish attempted to move but was unsuccessful as the sharp nose hit the Dark Ring on the mark, shattering it to pieces and freeing Coelamon from its spell.

"You did it, Submarimon!" Cody exclaimed happily. "Now let's go and help Zudomon."

"Wait, how are we supposed to fight Scorpiomon?" Submarimon asked, swimming back to the oil rig where Zudomon and Scorpiomon continued their fight. "He's not being controlled, right?"

"No…he isn't," Cody said, looking down before turning his gaze back up. He had been debating this for the last few days, but after everything that had happened to him and to everybody else yesterday and today, the young boy finally realized that there were no other options left.

"Cody, what do you think we should do against Scorpiomon?" Submarimon asked, bringing Cody back to reality.

"We give Scorpiomon one chance to surrender," Cody answered with a steely expression. "If he doesn't comply and decides to keep attacking us, then…"

"Wait," Submarimon said, having an idea where this was going. "Are you saying we may have to kill him if he doesn't just give up?"

"I am," Cody answered with resolve. "I've been a complete fool this entire time, but no more! We have to end this fight, and Millenniummon, by any means necessary!"

* * *

(Play Digimon: EVO)

"You might as well give it up, Zudomon!" Scorpiomon said, tussling with his opponent and tossing him back into a rock formation on the ocean floor. "You're not getting the Digidestined this time!"

"Actually Scorpiomon, I didn't need to get my friends out," Zudomon corrected him. "Another friend of mine already did that!"

"Impossible!" Scorpiomon looked up at the oil rig, and to his shock he saw a gaping hole in the rig, indicating someone had broken into it. "I don't believe it, we've been tricked!"

"Believe it, Scorpiomon!" Takato's yell, mixed with two pained yells, caused Scorpiomon to turn his gaze to the left, where he was greeted with the sight of his Divermon allies being sliced in half by Growlmon. Submarimon and the newly-Digivolved Turuiemon suddenly arrived, surrounding him completely.

"Scorpiomon, it's over," Cody called out to the giant crustacean. "I'm going to give you a choice: Surrender now to us, or we will be forced to destroy you."

"NEVER!" Scorpiomon bellowed. "I shall destroy you and everybody else here for my master Millenniummon! I will not fail him in terminating the Digidestined as I failed MetalSeadramon!"

"Please consider!"

"Consider this! STINGER SURPRISE!" Scorpiomon's attack flew at Submarimon and Turuiemon, the two Digimon dodging the deadly attack just in time.

"All right then," Cody sighed, looking down at Scorpiomon with a grim expression of pity. "Nobody hold back!"

"EXHAUST FLAME!" Scorpiomon yelled out from getting hit in the back with Growlmon's fire and turned to attack him, only to be rammed by Zudomon. Turuiemon swam down and sliced at Scorpiomon with her claw, leaving deep cuts around his body.

"SUBMARINE ATTACK!" Submarimon was the next to attack, drilling into Scorpiomon's underside with his nose, leaving a hole in his body. Scorpiomon knocked Submarimon to the side, but Cody was able to help his partner regain balance.

"You must be kidding me…" Scorpiomon gasped and coughed from the brutal onslaught brought on to his body. "You miserable brats!"

"Zudomon, finish it!" At Cody's call, Zudomon charged at Scorpiomon, his hammer held high above his head.

"VULCAN'S HAMMER!" The hammer swung down and collided with Scorpiomon, the crustacean Digimon screaming in agony as the electricity arced through his already-damaged body, utterly finishing it.

"LORD MILLENNIUMMON…PLEASE, FORGIVE ME FOR MY FAILURRRRRRREEEEEEE!" Scorpiomon let out one last plea to his master before his body finished disintegrating, finishing him off for good.

"Don't come back any time soon Scorpiomon," Zudomon said, looking at the place where he destroyed his rival. Cody looked at the spot as well with mixed feelings over Scorpiomon's destruction.

"Cody, were you okay with this?" asked Submarimon, sensing his partner's distress.

"…Yes, I guess so," Cody said after a long pause. As the team swam back up to the surface, Cody looked over at Suzie and Turuiemon, thinking again about his fight yesterday with her and his talk with his grandfather. He knew what he had to do next once they reunited with the others.

* * *

(Play Digimon: Himawari)

"Hey, there you guys are!" Kenta said, standing on the beach with Joe and Davis's team, MarineAngemon floating next to him and Whamon nearby in the water. "Did you get them?"

"All of Millenniummon's slaves have been freed," said Gomamon, running over to Joe.

"And Scorpiomon and the Divermon?" questioned Gatomon.

"Done for," said Takato.

"You guys did good today then," said Davis. "Especially Kenta and Cody."

"Us?" Cody and Kenta both questioned.

"Yeah," Joe said with a nod and smile. "It was Kenta's idea that allowed Whamon to get everybody out, and Cody was able to lead away any other Digimon that was trying to attack him. You guys were really reliable in planning and fighting off the Digimon."

"Th-thanks Joe!" Kenta said, his face turning bright red with embarrassment. "That really means a lot from you!"

"Yes, thank you," Cody said with a small bow. As Kari and TK talked with Whamon and Kenta continued talking with Joe, Takato, Davis and Yolei joining in the talk, Cody looked over at Suzie. The young girl had broken away from the group and was sitting on a rock sticking out of the sand, looking out at the ocean. Deciding to talk with her now, Cody walked over to Suzie and sat down next to her.

"Hey…Suzie," he said slowly. "Um…can we talk?"

"I guess so," said Suzie. "What is it you want to talk about, exactly?"

(Play Digimon Tamers: Kage no Yasashisa)

"I want to apologize for yesterday," Cody said, gazing out at the ocean with Suzie as Lopmon and Armadillomon came over, sitting down next to their partners. "I'm sorry for getting involved in Lopmon's fight with Ninjamon and spare him. I realize that it was wrong. It was wrong for me to try and spare Ninjamon, and it was wrong for me to continuously argue with you and the others on how to fight evil Digimon. I didn't understand it at all, but now I think I finally do."

"Huh?" Suzie asked.

"I realize now that you do what you have to as Digidestined and Digimon Tamers in order to keep both worlds safe, and I also realize I have to do the same thing as well," Cody explained. "Personally…I still think killing another life form is wrong, but if we don't put a permanent end to Millenniummon he'll destroy everything we hold dear. I'm willing to do what needs to be done, and I'm also willing to accept responsibility for any of my actions."

"I could tell from when we fought Scorpiomon and you gave him a chance to surrender, and how you told us not to hold back when he refused to give up," Suzie acknowledged today's events. "I'm glad we're all on the same page now…and for what it's worth, I'm sorry as well. It was wrong for me to talk about you and your father like I did yesterday. I didn't think enough in the moment, and I know it may be a sensitive subject…"

"There's no need to apologize," Cody cut in. "Because I realize now as well that if my father was here, he would have done the same thing as well if it meant protecting everything and everyone around him. I just hope I can make him proud."

"You already are Cody," Armadillomon said, climbing up and snuggling into Cody's lap. The inheritor of Knowledge and Reliability showed a quick look of surprise before smiling softly and rubbing his partner's head, touched at his words.

"Thanks, Armadillomon." Cody continued sitting on the beach and looked up at the blue sky of the Digital World, his thoughts on his father.

'Dad…I promise I'll make you proud of me once Millenniummon is defeated.'

* * *

(Play Digimon Adventure: Taiketsu)

"So…Scorpiomon has fallen," Millenniummon said, watching the screens showing the death of his latest servant. "It hardly matters now." His fingers pressed a button and the video screens were replaced with two screens: one showing two Digimon, and the other showing a map of the Digital World's oceans.

"Thanks to the children's activities in the oceans today, I finally have a clear path to what I seek. It will not be long now. Just you wait children." Millenniummon stood up from his chair and let out a loud evil laugh that echoed through the surveillance room. His plan was nearing the final phase, and once it was completed, nobody would stop him. Not even Ryo.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Days: Aijou to Nichijou TV Size)

END

 **Wow! Finally, I am back! I'm terribly sorry about the delay, but the last two months have been brutal for me. My grandfather passed away after Memorial Day, so I took a long break from this chapter so I could attend the funeral and deal with the aftershock. Also, this chapter for me was a little difficult. Cody's always been a complicated character for me, and I'm pretty sure there are other people who will agree with me. Nevertheless, I hope I did all right all things considered. Also, it's been crazy hot the last few days here and it's put me in the feeling of just sitting around and trying to stay cool while ignoring everything else around me. Which unfortunately has included this story.**

 **Next time, the Digidestined and the Digimon Tamers set up shop in the Digital World, ready to take the fight to Millenniummon, who is on the verge of completing his plan. Fortunately, an unexpected source alerts Ryo to Millenniummon's plan and helps him escape. Can Ryo reach his friends in time to warn them, or will Millenniummon succeed?**

 **Next chapter: Move Out to the Digital World!**


	25. Chapter 25: Move out to the Digital

Digimon Adventure Tamers

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon

(Play Digimon: The Biggest Dreamer: TV Size)

(Play Digimon Tamers: Avant)

When the Digidestined were trapped in a oil rig by Scorpiomon, it was up to Cody and Suzie to get help. Though shaken from a confrontation with Millenniummon, Cody was eventually able to prove himself reliable to his friends and received the Digimental of Reliability, defeating Scorpiomon in the process. Now, the children – and Millenniummon – plan their next moves.

(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)

Move Out to the Digital World!

(Digimon Tamers OST: Lee no Theme)

"Good job guys. You were really impressive out there today from what we were told. Especially you three."

This was one of the first things Tai had said to Davis's team once they had returned from the Digital World with Joe and Kenta. The bushy-haired boy had come to the warehouse with Matt, Sora, Izzy, Henry, Kazu and Rika once they heard about the situation concerning the Digimental of Reliability from Izzy. Though some of the team wanted to help out, particularly Tai, Henry and Matt concerning their siblings, the rest of the team insisted on waiting for them to return, having faith in them getting out alive. Sure enough, they received a message from Joe a few minutes later explaining everything that had happened, including the part of Cody and Suzie getting backup, and Kenta coming up with the rescue plan. Once the team had come out of the Digital Gate, Tai's group offered their congratulations to the team, especially Cody, Suzie and Kenta, the three of them looking embarrassed slightly at getting much praise, but also happy.

"Yeah, it's thanks to you guys that everybody managed to survive today," Henry said, offering a light smile to his sister, who looked pleased with herself. Rika also nodded and gave a small smile of her own, gazing in Cody's direction as well as Yolei's.

"Good to see you're improving out there," the Digimon Queen said. The two new Digidestined had irked her repeatedly ever since they first started working together, but recent missions had opened their eyes to the dangers of the Digital World and they were beginning to slowly deal with it, and she had felt that Cody and Yolei had both begun to grow on her slowly.

"Thanks guys," Cody said with a smile, Yolei, Suzie and Kenta following him, and eventually the rest of the group.

"It wasn't really much though," Yolei conceded.

"Still, today's events and the events of the past few days have showed that we've all continued growing stronger," Izzy noted. "And now that we have the Digimental of Reliability, I think it's finally time."

"Time?" asked Hawkmon. "Time for what, may I ask?"

"To make our next move regarding the Digital World and Millenniummon," Davis answered. "Now that we've managed to get the eight Digimentals that we can get, and that Cody and Yolei have grown stronger as well as their partners, it's time we set up permanent residence in the Digital World."

"I agree," Tai nodded. "The sooner we do that, the quicker we can end this for good."

"But can we really do this?" asked Yolei, sounding unsure. "This sounds a lot different than what we've been doing up to now."

"That's because you and Cody have never really done this before Yolei," said Rika. "But us Tamers, and the Digidestined, have done this before and we've been able to get out of it unharmed."

"For the most part anyway," Terriermon muttered to himself, getting a sharp glare from Renamon.

"But how are we going to do this anyway?" asked Cody. "We don't have any idea where Millenniummon could be and we'll need a base to work out of in the Digital World."

"Well, we don't have to worry about a base in the Digital World," said Izzy. "I've been scouting places with Tai, Davis and Takato, and we have several safe places for us to operate from."

"And with our large numbers, spreading out and finding Millenniummon's base will be easy," Veemon said assuredly.

"Not to mention putting him down for good," noted Kazu.

"Don't get overconfident," said Tai. "Even if he's in Ken's body, Millenniummon is still a force to be reckoned with." Those that did face or fight Millenniummon themselves – Matt, Sora, Kari, TK, Davis, Izzy, Joe, Yolei and Cody – shuddered and nodded, knowing the threat Millenniummon could be.

"But even so," said Agumon, "we've managed to beat him before, and we can do it again!"

"Agreed!" Gatomon and Patamon both voiced.

"So, it's official then?" Tai's question was met with nods from everybody in the warehouse.

"So, are we leaving right now for the Digital World?" asked Suzie.

"No," Henry answered his sister. "Now's not the right time. You guys have just gotten home from a long hard day and fight, and we need Mimi, Jeri and the twins with us."

"Plus, we're not well equipped," Joe added. "We'll need proper medical equipment…"

"…any useful technology…" Izzy voiced.

"…a lot of cards…" Takato said.

"…and not to mention food and the right supplies, as well as a good night's sleep," Sora finished.

"Then we'll gather those tonight," said Tai. "Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Digital World!"

"Tomorrow?!" Yolei and Cody both yelped in surprise.

(Digimon Tamers OST: Shutsugen)

"But school is tomorrow!" said Yolei, realizing that today was Sunday. Tomorrow was Monday, which meant school, something that could not be missed.

"Trust me Yolei, if Millenniummon takes over the Digital World completely and comes to our world, school will be the least of our worries," Joe stated, getting surprised looks from those that knew him well. "Yeah, it sounds weird coming from me, but we can't ignore him any longer, and we need everybody, regardless of what else is going on in our lives."

"But how exactly are we going to explain a bunch of absences from the school?" asked Cody. "We're talking nearly two dozen students!"

"That is a good point," TK agreed with Cody. "Joe's got it easy since he goes to a different school, but the rest of us…"

"I might be able to come up with something for an explanation," Izzy interrupted. "But I'll need some help with that."

"In the meantime, everybody get home, gather up whatever you'll need for the Digital World, and get some sleep," said Sora.

"And don't forget to tell your families," said Matt.

"Right!" Once arrangements had been made, everybody left the warehouse, agreeing to meet up here again at 10 a.m. tomorrow. As they walked back to their homes, the children were all thinking about Millenniummon and the Digital World, and wondering what to expect come tomorrow.

* * *

(Digimon Tamers OST: Shishunki)

After bidding farewell to Yolei, TK and Kazu, Cody stood outside his apartment with an anxious look on his face, Armadillomon by his side. To say that the inheritor of Knowledge and Reliability was nervous could be an understatement. Behind the other side of the door and in the apartment was his mother, the only member of his family that didn't know the truth about him and Suzie, as well as the one who would no doubt voice her disapproval of what her son was doing, and planning on doing very soon.

Suzie stood near Cody with Lopmon on her head, a slightly annoyed look on her face. Cody had been standing in front of the door for five minutes and had not moved an inch, making her wonder what was taking him so long.

"Hey, Cody! Are we going in or what?"

"Oh! Sorry Suzie," Cody was pulled out of his thoughts. "I'm nervous about telling my mother about the Digital World. I'm worried she may not approve of what I'm doing."

"I doubt approval is something you'll need," said Lopmon. "This is something that you have to do Cody, a great responsibility that you and the rest of us must do."

"Yeah, don't let your worries of your mother get the better of you," Armadillomon chirped, looking up to his partner. "Just go in, tell her about me and the rest, and just tell her that you're going to do this, approval or no approval!"

Cody breathed deep and steeled himself, his hand gripping the doorknob. Lopmon and Armadillomon were right. Now was not the time to be nervous or worried. Now was the time to come out and be honest, something he knew he should have done the day he first received his D-3.

"Let's go." Turning the knob, Cody opened the door and walked into the apartment with Suzie. Both children took off their shoes and walked into the living room, Lopmon still hanging on Suzie's head and Armadillomon walking behind Cody. Upon entering the living room, Cody saw his mother reading a book, but she closed it and placed it down on her lap when she looked up and saw Cody standing in front of her with Suzie.

"Oh Cody, you're back. Good," Fumiko sighed, placing her book down on the small table next to her. "I was hoping to ask something of you and Suzie. When you get out of school tomorrow, do you think you could be able to run a couple of errands for me?"

"I'd love to…" Cody started answering before looking to Suzie, who gave him a look of encouragement to continue on. "…but I'm afraid I won't be able to. To be honest, I won't be able to go to school tomorrow, and neither will Suzie."

"What?" Fumiko asked, looking at Cody in surprise. "Why not? Are you two not feeling well?"

"We're fine, Mrs. Hida," Suzie replied. "But nobody may be for long."

"Wh-wha-what are you talking about?" Fumiko looked extremely confused at the answers her son and guest were giving her.

"Mom…" Cody said, looking up at his mother with a look of regret on his face. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now. Grandpa has known this, but you haven't yet, and I'm sorry for keeping this a secret from you for so long."

"A secret?" asked Fumiko, her attention now solely on Cody. "What exactly do you mean?" Instead of answering, Cody turned his head to look at something behind him.

"It's okay, you can come out now." Cody stepped aside, and to Fumiko's great surprise, a yellow creature that she guessed was an armadillo walked into the living room, a bright smile on his face.

"Well, howdy there!" the creature said, greatly shocking Fumiko. "The name's Armadillomon! You must be Cody's mother!" Fumiko said nothing; she could only look at the small creature before her, her eyes huge and wide, and her mouth hanging open.

"What's wrong?" Armadillomon asked, cocking his head to the side. "Is she okay, Cody?"

"I think she's shocked to see you," Cody replied, Suzie nodding along.

"Cody…please tell me I'm imagining things and your toy didn't come to life," Fumiko finally said after a whole minute of staring at Armadillomon in disbelief.

"You're not seeing things Mom," Cody said, walking over to Armadillomon and bending down next to him. "And he's not a toy. He's a Digimon."

"As am I." Fumiko's shock grew bigger when she saw Suzie's brown rabbit toy jump off Suzie's head and land on the coffee table, bowing before her. "My name is Lopmon, loyal Digimon partner to Suzie." Again, Fumiko lost the ability to speak for a few moments, staring at Lopmon before falling back into her chair.

"Cody, what's going on here?" she finally asked, looking from Armadillomon to Lopmon and back again. Cody opened his mouth to answer, but was stopped by a nearby door opening and his grandfather coming out of a room.

"Fumiko, I was wondering if you would be able to get some more Chu-Chu Juice when you go shopping tomorrow. I have some kendo lessons to teach tomorrow and I won't be home until 7."

"Dad, what do you know about this?" Fumiko asked, gesturing to the two Digimon in the living room. "Cody says you know something about…this." Chikara looked at what his daughter-in-law was gesturing to, and he had a small look of surprise on his face upon seeing Lopmon and Armadillomon show themselves.

"Ah. I see. Cody has decided to finally tell you."

"Tell me what?" asked Fumiko. "What's going on?"

"Let us all take a seat first," Chikara sat down on the couch. "And perhaps get some refreshments before we all enter explanations."

A half-hour had passed once Cody and Suzie were done explaining everything to Fumiko. They would have been done in ten minutes, but they had to take some extra time to explain the Tamers and their home when Fumiko asked Suzie what she meant when Suzie said she came from another dimension with her brother and friends.

"And now, Millenniummon is becoming more aggressive towards us and we have to focus entirely on stopping him," Cody said to his mother. "That's why starting tomorrow we're staying in the Digital World until Millenniummon is defeated and Ken is brought back home to his family."

"I see," Chikara said, nodding and sipping his tea. "Well Cody, all I can do is ask that you do your best and stay safe. The same goes for you as well, Suzie."

"What?!" Fumiko looked at her father-in-law, bewildered. "Dad, what are you saying?"

"Nothing that has already been said," Chikara answered. "Cody will go to the Digital World one way or another, as it is a great responsibility that he has been chosen for. There is no point in trying to stop him, and the same can be said for Suzie."

"Well, considering I am from another dimension, that's a moot point," Suzie muttered.

"You can't be serious!" Fumiko said, getting up from her chair. "He's not getting involved in this at all! This has nothing to do with him or us!"

"This may not have anything to do with us," Chikara said calmly, "but definitely Cody."

(Digimon Adventure OST: Kanashimi 2)

"But Dad, he could die!" Fumiko said, her eyes beginning to water slightly. "I don't want to lose him like I lost Hiroki."

"You won't lose me, Mom," Cody insisted. "I promise I'll come back home. If Dad was still here, he'd do the same thing as well. If he knew the danger and pain the Digimon were going through, he'd risk his life to save them…like he saved you and me before I was born. If I refuse to help my friends fight Millenniummon and protect the Digital World, I feel like I'd be insulting Dad's memory. I want to do this. I _have_ to. If we don't, then Millenniummon could come to our world and destroy everybody. But he won't as long as I can do something about it."

"Well said my boy," Chikara said softly, drinking his tea again, Suzie and Lopmon nodding in approval. Fumiko said nothing, simply falling back into her chair and placing her hands over her face, a heartbroken expression on it. Seeing her mother like this made Cody look extremely sad and he walked over to Fumiko, placing his arms around her in an embrace.

"I'm sorry Mom."

"No…I'm sorry Cody," Fumiko said, returning the embrace and holding Cody close to her tightly.

"Why are you apologizing?" Armadillomon asked her. "You're his mother, aren't you supposed to worry about him?"

"Indeed," Chikara agreed with the yellow mammal Digimon. "If this conversation didn't happen, only then would it have been wrong. Now then…" the old man stood up from the couch. "Who wants dinner? I believe there may be some curry that could be made."

* * *

In his bedroom, Davis sighed as he sat cross-legged on the floor, putting various stuff that he would need for the Digital World into his backpack. Though he wanted to stay focused on what do once in the Digital World tomorrow, he needed to focus on the now, which was packing his things for the trip and talking to his parents. But at the same time, he could only wonder about Ryo. Though he knew Ryo to be one of the toughest kids he had ever met since Tai, even he had his limits and there was no telling what sort of torture Millenniummon was putting Ryo through.

'Then again, Millenniummon is still Ryo's partner, as much as I hate to admit it,' he thought to himself. 'So hopefully he hasn't hurt Ryo much.'

"Hey, Davis?" The burgundy-haired boy turned his head around to see Jun walk into his room, a tray with food and a drink in her hands. "I brought your dinner for you."

"Thanks," Davis said, returning to packing.

(Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Konran~Shutsugeki~Fuan)

"So, you're really leaving tomorrow?" Jun asked, placing the tray on the floor and sitting down next to Davis.

"I am," he answered. "You know what to do while we're gone, right?" Jun answered with a nod.

"Yes. Yolei, Henry and Izzy have been showing me the Digital Gate program and the entire grid map. If anything happens in a place you guys aren't at, I'll let you know right away."

"Good," Davis said, ceasing his packing once he felt he had enough supplies and food, and he began eating his dinner, Jun watching him with a concerned expression.

"So, you're really going to tell Mom and Dad tonight?"

"Hey, I have to," said Davis. "Cody's telling his mom and grandpa, so it's only right that I tell Mom and Dad as well, and about time as well. There are several other things I'll want to say to them."

"If that's the case, then I'll be with you," Jun said, knowing what Davis's intention was. "This involves me as well, you know."

"Thanks Jun," Davis wrapped and around his sister, touched at her gesture. "You're a good sister. Flawed, but good."

"The same can be said for you little bro," Jun smiled and returned the hug. "Now shall we tell them? They're in the living room right now watching TV."

"Wow, they're actually here for once," Davis muttered, walking out of the room with Jun. Sure enough, they both saw their parents sitting on the couch with their backs to them and their attention on the TV in front of them, which was switched to a news channel. Davis opened his mouth to speak to them, but the words died down when he saw what was playing on the screen.

"It has been two months since the disappearance of young boy genius Ken Ichijouji," said the reporter, standing outside of an apartment building. "There has still been no leads or ideas of his current whereabouts, and anybody who may have an idea of where he is are encouraged to step forward and inform the authorities. While some people believe young Ken has run away and may never return home, or is dead, his parents, who we spoke to in an interview, are optimistic about his return." The picture changed to Ken's parents sitting in their living room. Both of them looked heartbroken, but Ken's mother was the most heartbroken, sobbing into a handkerchief and not saying much.

"He'll be back," Ken's father said, sounding hopeful. "I know he's still alive somewhere. It won't be long."

"He…" Ken's mother attempted to speak, but it was difficult through her sobs. "Ken…is such a kind boy…" Davis clenched his fist in anger at the scene before him. The longer Millenniummon held a grip on Ken, the more heartbreak it would create for Ken's parents.

"Now or never," he muttered to himself and walked further into the living room. Grabbing the TV remote off the coffee table, Davis turned off the TV, much to the surprise of his parents.

"Hey!" his father said in shock.

"Davis, what was that about?" asked his mother. "We were watching that!"

"It was just the same news about Ken's disappearance, nothing new," Davis grumbled angrily. "Besides, there's something Jun and I need to talk with you about, and it's very important."

"So maybe you can divert some attention to us for a change?" Jun asked, walking up to Davis and standing next to him.

"O-okay then," Mr. Motomiya said, sitting back on the couch with his wife. "What do you want to tell us that's important?"

"Hold on, we're not all here yet." Davis walked back to his bedroom and poked his head into it. "Hey buddy! That's your cue!"

"Hold on a moment!" a high voice came from the bedroom. The two adults in the living room were confused, as they didn't recall Davis coming home with any friends, which was why they were surprised at who they saw walk out of Davis's room and into the living room: a small figure that looked like a blue dragon with four fingers on each hand and red eyes.

(Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)

"Hi there!" the small figure greeted the couple. "The name's Veemon!" The two grown-ups said nothing and could only look at the small figure before them in bewilderment. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mrs. Motomiya was the first to speak.

"Um…h-hi there."

"Wow," Mr. Motomiya said, looking down at Veemon. "You are a really small fellow, aren't you? And the costume is definitely strange, but very life-like. How do you pull off the four fingers?"

"That's because this isn't a costume," said Veemon. "This is what I really look like."

"Wait, it is?" asked both elder Motomiyas. Veemon nodded and Davis knelt down next to him.

"Veemon isn't a little person at all," he explained. "He's my Digimon partner, as well as one of my best and closest friends."

"Digimon?" Mrs. Motomiya asked, tilting her head to the side. "What is that, exactly?"

"You know what Digimon are," Davis said, his hands moving up to the bottom of his shirt. "They were the same ones that attacked Odaiba and rounded us up at Big Sight four years ago, the same guys that gave me this." He moved his shirt up, revealing the jagged scar on his side.

"Oh…this again," his mother sighed and rolled her eyes, her husband doing the same.

"Davis, that's not what happened at all," his father said. "Nothing of that sort happened, it was an accident that you got that scar –"

"Yes! It! Did!" Davis yelled loudly, cutting them off. "Stop trying to deny that a Digimon attack happened four years ago, because we were right in the middle of it! And you can stop trying to cover up how I really got this," he gestured to his scar again and dropped his shirt back down over it, "because I sure as hell didn't get this running through the balcony door by accident. I may have been clumsy a few years back, but not that clumsy. Besides, you think anybody would get a scar like this from getting cut by glass? If I did, then I would have a few more scars on my body!" The bearer of Miracles gave both his parents a piercing glare, Jun and Veemon sharing the same look as him. Both parents looked at their children and the small creature with shock in their faces before looking down at the floor with slight regret.

"It…it was just a little hard to take in was all," said Mrs. Motomiya. "One day everything was fine and normal, and then the next…"

"That's still no excuse," snapped Jun. "Like it or not, Digimon are very much real, and one of them gave Davis that scar."

"Then why is there one in our apartment right now?!" asked Mr. Motomiya, gesturing to Veemon.

(Digimon Tamers: Shutsugen)

"Because, like I said before, Veemon is my partner and friend," answered Davis, placing a hand on Veemon's shoulder. "He's not like the other Digimon from Big Sight. He's a really good Digimon, and there are other Digimon like him. Tai, Kari, Sora, and some of my other friends have Digimon partners of their own."

"For how long?"

"For some of them, like Tai and Kari, they've been Digidestined for four years since the Big Sight incident," Davis answered his mother. "I've been a Digidestined for three years, and as for a couple of my friends, they've only recently become Digidestined back in April."

"We've been fighting a really powerful and evil Digimon called Millenniummon, who we've fought in the past before," said Veemon. "He's also the reason Ken Ichijouji has disappeared."

"Millenniummon has possessed Ken and he's been slowly taking over the Digital World," said Davis. "We've been going to the Digital World every day for the last few months to fight him, but we've been getting nowhere near beating him, and he's been getting more dangerous, even capturing one of our own. That's why starting tomorrow me and my friends are going to the Digital World and we're going to stay there until Millenniummon is dead and our friends are rescued."

"What?!" Mrs. Motomiya asked in complete shock. "Absolutely not! This sounds completely dangerous from what you've told us Davis, there's no way I'm letting you go there!"

"Mom, for your information, I know how dangerous this is," Davis fired back. "I was in the Digital World myself three years ago. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but I made it out alive. And I've been coming out of the Digital World every day alive ever since April, though the experience still hasn't been pleasant. This is something that I can, and must do, with or without your permission."

"Even so, you can't just up and leave on short notice!" his father insisted. "Especially with school still going on. Your grades have been abysmal Davis, and you need to focus on them more if you want to make it as an adult."

"This is more important than school," Davis replied with a glare. "And when you're talking about my grades, do you mean my grades from _three years ago_? I'll happen to let you know that my grades have improved quite well over the last few years because I decided to start paying attention…in some classes that interest me at least. I'm a lot smarter than you, and most people, think I am. And I also can be a fast learner. I just don't like showing it off that much."

Both his parents looked at Davis in surprise.

"They…they have?" Mrs. Motomiya asked.

"We didn't know that," said Mr. Motomiya with a guilty look.

"Well, maybe if you were in our lives for more than five minutes a day, you would know!" Jun snapped angrily. "Seriously, these last few years you're not home much with us! You're either at work, which I can understand since you have two kids to care for, or you're hanging out with friends, which is nearly all of the time! Our friends know more about us than you, our parents!"

"Yeah, sometimes I can't help but wonder if you ever did want kids if all you do is either ignore us or not be at home!" Davis yelled, causing both parents to stare at their children in wide-eyed disbelief before looking down at the floor. Neither of them could say anything to counter their claims, for they knew deep down that Davis and Jun were right about them.

"Please understand…" Mrs. Motomiya said, finally looking up at Davis and Jun. "Your father and I, we always did want to have children, but…"

"It was unexpected," Mr. Motomiya stated with a sigh. "Your mother and I had just graduated from college and we had gotten married. Having a child was in our plans, but we wanted to wait at least a year or two so we could focus on finding a home and getting a job. But, on our honeymoon…we had, well, a little too much to drink, and things got crazy with the two of us in bed."

"Okay, moving on!" Jun said, her face scrunched up as she realized what her father was talking about.

"I found out that I was pregnant with Jun three weeks after the honeymoon," Mrs. Motomiya continued. "It threw us both for a loop since it tossed our plans out the window so soon. But, we just went with it and had Jun."

"And it was easy for us," said Mr. Motomiya. "At least, at first. Then three years passed and we made the same mistake of getting it on after a few drinks, and…"

"I was born," Davis guessed, getting double nods for an answer.

"It was easy at first with just one kid, but two kids made it hard for us, since it happened earlier than we wanted to," said Mrs. Motomiya. "And some of our old friends from our school days had also been asking us out…"

(Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Seijaku)

"So instead of just turning them down and simply raising your kids, you just decided to up and leave them every now and then just because you wanted to hang out with your friends, and because you had kids early because of a mistake that _you_ made," Veemon said, looking at them with a dark glare. "What kind of people are you?"

"If you really did care about us, then you would be with us here at home instead of out there hanging out with other people," Jun said, looking hurt.

"Kids, please understand…" Mr. Motomiya started, but was cut off by Davis.

"No, I think we do understand. You made a mistake, but instead of owing up to it and facing it, you've been trying to dodge out of it. That's not what you should be doing at all as parents!" Neither adult could say anything else, realizing that their children, and their son's Digimon partner, were absolutely correct in everything that they said to them.

"You're right," Mrs. Motomiya finally said. "It was wrong for us, and…we are truly sorry."

"If you do want to try and start over with us," said Davis, seeing that both his parents were regretting their actions, "then maybe we can start after I get back from the Digital World."

"But…how long are you going to be gone?" Mr. Motomiya asked rather worriedly.

"Maybe a few weeks, maybe a month," Davis answered, unsure of the time they would be in the Digital World. "However, given the numbers and strength we have, we should only be a few days at best."

"And are you involved in this Jun?"

"I am," Jun answered her mother. "Sort of. I'm not a Digidestined like Davis or the others, but I have been learning about the Digital World's grid map and how to operate it, so I'll be providing outside technical support while everybody is in the Digital World."

"I really am sorry about dropping this on you on short notice, but I'm leaving tomorrow and I was one of the only ones left that didn't tell his family about the Digital World," said Davis. "I can't afford to let Millenniummon continue his reign of terror any longer."

"We understand," Mrs. Motomiya said finally. "Just…please be careful. This Millenniummon, from what you've told us, sounds like he can be very dangerous."

"I know," Davis said, clenching his fists in determination. "And so can I."

* * *

(Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Ankoku no Hohoemi ~Digimon Kaiser no Theme~)

Millenniummon sat in his screen room, searching through the map on the only screen lit up in the room with an intent expression on his face. He had been scanning through the map ever since returning to his base this afternoon. The sea battle the Digidestined were embroiled in against his minions gained his attention more than he thought, as the radar on the base was able to detect a surge of dark energy far off into the ocean. Suspecting what it was, Millenniummon had immediately begun the scanning for more of the energy signature.

"Let us see…it should be right around…here!" Millenniummon stopped the scanning and had the map zoom in on an area in the ocean. The image cleared up to reveal a massive black hole sitting in the middle of the body of water, swirling around like water draining from a sink.

"Finally!" Millenniummon chuckled, pleased with his findings. "At long last, my quest is finally over. Once I've obtained the last piece I need, I shall finally finish off the Digidestined. Those that refuse to serve me, I shall kill them then. After all, Ryo is the only one I need alive for my future. I shall come out on top! Nothing can stop me now."

 _"Don't count on it…"_

"Huh?" Millenniummon straightened up at the voice's sound. "Who said that?"

" _Who do you think it is, you sick freak?_ " the voice asked, and Millenniummon stopped short. It was a voice he recognized instantly, but it could not be possible.

"Ken! But how can you speak? Your body belongs to me now!"

(Digimon Adventure OST: Kuroi Inbou)

" _Not for much longer,"_ Ken said in Millenniummon's head. " _The only reason you were able to take possession of me is because you caught us all off-guard…and I was still feeling sorrow and regret over my actions towards Wormmon and my friends. But I was still able to watch while you've been possessing me. The more I saw Davis and the others keep fighting for me and both worlds despite everything you've thrown at them, the more it's given me the strength to fight back against you. You've been so fixated on my friends and your plan that you've completely ignored me. And I'm taking my body back!"_

"N-NO!" Millenniummon yelled, his head splitting open as he felt Ken fight him for control over the body. "I…will not…let you deny me my plan! Not when I'm so close!"

" _You underestimate me, Millenniummon. And you underestimate the Digidestined and Tamers!_ "

"You think you can…regain control?!" Millenniummon growled, feeling Ken gaining control more and more. "You're not strong enough to hold me down…for long!"

" _Maybe,"_ said Ken. " _But that will be enough time for me to do something…"_

"W-What?!" Millenniummon yelled loudly for a second before the yell died down. The body dropped to the floor with a thud, not moving for a few moments. Soon, a hand twitched and pushed the body off the floor.

"F-Finally!" Ken gasped, relieved to be back in control of his own body, albeit temporarily, after a long period of torture and misery of being possessed. But he could already feel Millenniummon slowly regaining control; he wouldn't hold back the mad tyrant forever.

"Have…to move…fast!"

* * *

"Come on…" Ryo grunted, pulling at the leg of the bed in his cell. In the time that had passed since being brought here, the Tamer had been planning his escape from this lair. He had been talking with Monodramon through his D-Arc. Every six hours, Millenniummon would send a Bakemon servant to bring him a meal to his cell to eat. The plan was simple: The next time a Bakemon came in, Ryo would knock him out with a piece of his bed, which was metal, and run out to free Monodramon. The purple dragon was being kept in his own cell in a prison block that was created to hold any Digimon unfortunate enough to wander into the Emperor's territory and weren't strong enough to be given Dark Rings.

'With any luck, we might be able to free the prisoners Monodramon saw before Millenniummon is able to catch on to our escape,' he thought as he finally succeeded in breaking off a leg. 'I haven't seen him since he brought us here. Whatever he's working on, he must be completely fixated on it. So hopefully, he won't notice the escape until it's too late.'

The loud sound of thumping from close outside caught Ryo's attention, and he turned to the door to see it open and reveal Millenniummon standing in the doorway. Ryo gave a sigh of annoyance, knowing it was a matter of time before his insane former partner came to him again.

"Okay, what do you want now?" he asked, deciding to roll with it.

"It's not…what I want, but what I need…" Ryo's eyes widened slightly at the voice. It wasn't Millenniummon's voice, but rather…

"Ken?!"

(Digimon Adventure 02: Yogiru Fuan)

"Yes, it's me," Ken said, looking up at Ryo with pleading eyes as he slumped against the doorway. "I've managed to fight off Millenniummon's possession, but…AGH…I can't hold him back for much longer. It's only a matter of time before he gets back in the driver's seat. Listen to me, Ryo! You have to get out of here, fast! Get Monodramon. Find Davis and the others…warn them!" Ken yelled in pain again, staggering into the cell and dropping to his hands and knees.

"Warn them about what?" Ryo asked, running over to Ken and supporting him up. "Ken, what's Millenniummon doing?"

"He…he's rebuilding his old body," Ken answered through gritted teeth. "He's been collecting data on the Digimon he needs, and he's already finished building Machinedramon. He just needs one last Digimon to complete Kimeramon, and then he'll use Calumon to fuse them together."

"Calumon?" Ryo asked before a sudden thought of horror came to him. "Wait, is Calumon here as well?!"

"He is," Ken said, his hands clenching as he continued fighting back Millenniummon. "Millenniummon's been using him to Digivolve his slaves, mostly to find the Digimon he's needed to form his body again, and also to give the others a hard time."

"Then I have to go get him!" Ryo said, heading for the cell door.

"No!" Ken stopped him. "You'll only have enough time to get Monodramon and escape. I can feel Millenniummon coming back in…hurry Ryo!"

"Ken…" Ryo said, looking at Ken's struggling form with a sad look on his face, unable to help his friend.

"HURRY!" Ken practically screamed to Ryo. The older boy nodded and immediately bolted down the hall for the Digimon cells. Saving Ken and Calumon would have to come later.

"It's up to you now guys," Ken whispered to himself before he dropped to the floor, losing consciousness, and his fight for control against Millenniummon.

* * *

"Cells…cells…" Ryo said to himself, bolting down the base as fast he could. Descending further into the base, the Tamer soon found himself in a dark room lined with numerous prison cells. He knew Monodramon was in one of these cells from the talks they had through Ryo's D-Arc during their captivity but he didn't know which one it was.

"Monodramon! Where are you?!"

"Ryo?! Ryo! Ryo, I'm down here!" The Legendary Tamer followed his partner's voice down the hall and was soon greeted with the sight of Monodramon standing right up to the bars of his cell, a relieved look on his face.

"Monodramon! Thank goodness."

"I'll say!" chirped the purple dragon. "How did you manage to escape?"

"No time to explain!" Ryo answered, and he drew out a card with his D-Arc. A quick swipe of the card gave Monodramon Digmon's drills, allowing him to break his way out of the cell.

"Come on," Ryo picked up his partner. "We have to get out of here before it's too late."

"Oh, I'm afraid it's already too late," a dark voice said from behind. As Ryo and Monodramon turned around, a foul stench hit their noses. Covering their noses, the duo was greeted with the sight of two Raremon, massive grey Digimon that looked like lumps of garbage and metal, and with a bad stench coming off them. Standing between the Raremon was WaruMonzaemon, a dark evil version of Monzaemon.

(Digimon Adventure OST: Shuugeki! Soshite…)

"Lord Millenniummon was able to sound the alarm," WaruMonzaemon said. "And his orders are to bring you back to him."

"Forget it!" Monodramon snapped at the black teddy bear. "We're getting out of here!"

"Who said you had a choice?" asked WaruMonzaemon, raising his arms. "HEARTBREAK ATTACK!" Hearts of pure blackness flew from his chest and barely hit Ryo and Monodramon, who jumped back into Monodramon's cell.

"He's got Raremon and WaruMonzaemon as guards," Monodramon told Ryo. "Quite smart really. The Raremon's stench and WaruMonzaemon's Heartbreak Attack and keep any escaping prisoners from getting far."

"Unfortunately for them," Ryo pulled out his D-Arc again, "we're not normal prisoners. If we're going to break out, then we need to cut loose."

"And we need to do it fast!" Monodramon noted, the D-Arc flashing brightly.

"Come out, little Tamer!" WaruMonzaemon taunted, advancing towards the cell with the Raremon. "It's no fun if you hide in a cell."

"Who said we were hiding?" A flash of light engulfed the area, forcing WaruMonzaemon to cover his eyes from the blinding light. When it died down and he could see again, the three guards were greeted with the sight of Justimon standing before them. Though his face was covered completely, they could have sworn that he was glaring at them heatedly judging from his stance.

(Digimon Adventure OST: Teko wo Yattsukero!)

"One warning: Get out of my way," the cyborg Digimon said, raising his right arm and turning it into his Critical Arm, a red blade protruding out of it.

"Never!" WaruMonzaemon roared. "Raremon, subdue him!"

"ACID SLUDGE!" The two grey masses puked out blobs of greenish-brown acid at Justimon, but he cut through the attacks easily with his blade.

"Your stench won't put me off this time!" Charging forward, Justimon swung his arm with a yell of "VOLTAGE BLADE!" The blade cut through the two Raremon easily, dissolving them in moments.

"HEARTBREAK ATTACK!"

"JUSTICE BURST!" Justimon's arm quickly turned into his Blitz Arm and fired bursts of energy that destroyed WaruMonzaemon's hearts and sent him flying off his feet.

"I gave you a warning," Justimon said as he charged forward, switching back to his Critical Arm. Shocked at the speed of his opponent, all WaruMonzaemon could do in his final moments of life was scream as the blade cut through his body. The top half burst apart before it could hit the floor, and his bottom half followed suit.

"Let's keep going!" Ryo said inside Justimon, and the fused Digimon ran out of the prison, fighting his way past any guards that Millenniummon alerted to his presence.

* * *

"Damn you, Ken!" Millenniummon snarled, staggering back into the monitor room. Moments after Ryo escaped from his cell, the deranged Digimon managed to regain control of Ken's body and sounded the alarm to stop Ryo. Sitting down in his chair, Millenniummon brought up every camera in the base, looking for his former partner. It did not take long as he found Justimon plowing his way through many Digimon guards, eventually making it out of the base and to the forest nearby, destroying Control Spires on the way.

"He's too far away now," Millenniummon growled, turning off the screens. "Any Digimon I send after him will be destroyed. Though I suppose it hardly matters now. If I am to finish my body in time and not worry about all of the children, then I shall need more powerful Digimon at my disposal. I need…masters."

* * *

" _How much further are we going to run, Ryo?_ " Monodramon asked as Justimon ran through the forest.

"I think we're at a safe distance from Millenniummon's base," Ryo answered. "But we shouldn't break up just yet. We need to find a Digital Gate that will take us back to Japan so we can warn everybody."

" _Ryo…do you think we'll be able to save Ken?"_ asked Monodramon. During their escape, Ryo explained to Monodramon how he was able to escape his cell, and the dragon Digimon was surprised to hear that Ken was able to fight off Millenniummon's control, but saddened when he was told it didn't last long.

"I know we can save him," Ryo said determinately. "That's what we came back home to do, and that's what we'll do!"

* * *

(Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Saa, Digital World e Ikou!)

Morning came upon Odaiba, and the Teenage Wolves' warehouse was full of noise as the assembled Digidestined and Tamers met up as promised, all of them carrying bags filled with food, extra clothes, sleeping bags and other necessary items for roughing it out in the wild.

"Okay, is everybody here?" Tai called out to the large group. He received nods from everybody. "Are you all packed?" They nodded again. "Have you all made out your wills?" Nobody nodded, though the original Courage wielder could've sworn he heard someone – possibly Impmon – chuckling at the joke.

"Save the dark comedy for later Tai," Davis walked up to his mentor and turned to look everybody in the eye. "All right everybody…this is it. I don't think I need to remind you what's at stake today. Everything is on the line: The Digital World, this Earth, the Tamers' Earth, our entire future! That bastard Millenniummon has been toying with us and taking the fight to us every step of the way. But today is where the bull stops! Today… _we_ take the battle to _him_! We get our friends back! And we end the reign of terror on the Digital World! Now who's with me?!"

" _ **YEAH!**_ " Everybody yelled out at the top of their lungs and raised their fists into the air.

"Then let's not waste any more time!" Takato declared. "Jun, bring up the gate!"

"That was the first thing I did when I came in here!" Jun showed off the computer and the program to everybody. "Just say the word!"

"DIGITAL GATE, OPEN!" At Davis's command, the blinding bluish-white light flashed over the entire warehouse, sucking the large group of twenty humans and nineteen Digimon into the computer, leaving Jun all alone in the warehouse.

"Good luck, everybody," the teenage girl whispered to herself as she looked at the computer. "Come back safe."

* * *

"Everything is almost in place," Millenniummon said to himself, standing in a hangar bay in his base. "Now I just need one final person." Raising his hand and concentrating everything into creating a portal in the air, the dark Digimon focused on a specific day and watched as the inside of the portal revealed a forest. And standing in the middle of the forest was MetalGarurumon and a younger Matt standing in front of a Digimon that Millenniummon knew well: his former fellow Dark Master Puppetmon.

"Wh-why aren't my powers working on you?" Puppetmon asked the duo of Friendship in fear. "Why can't I control you?"

"Because there is no way he'll obey someone who kills the people he calls friends while not feeling sorry for it," Matt answered, glaring hard at the Digimon that was shorter than him. "You're pathetic, Puppetmon. Nobody would ever work for a psycho man-child like you."

"What?!" Puppetmon yelled, first looking shocked before glaring back at Matt. "Now you've really pissed me off!" The small Digimon charged at MetalGarurumon, a truly fatal mistake.

"You always were a fool Puppetmon," Millenniummon said as he watched MetalGarurumon prepare his Metal Wolf Claw attack. "But you do have your uses."

"METAL WOLF CLAW!" As the ice blast completely enveloped Puppetmon, Millenniummon raised his hands, a white light covering the marionette the same time the ice hit him. When MetalGarurumon's attack ceased, Puppetmon was nowhere to be seen, Matt assuming the point-blank attack obliterated him. But neither him nor MetalGarurumon saw the light behind Puppetmon taking him away from 1999.

* * *

"Oof!" Puppetmon grunted as he landed on the floor. Pulling himself up, the marionette Digimon looked around the hangar bay. "What's going on here? Where in the world am I?"

"You're in the future Puppetmon," Millenniummon answered, "and you're here because I saved your life."

"Huh?" Puppetmon looked up at Millenniummon. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Come now Puppetmon," Millenniummon chuckled darkly. "Surely you recognize your old friend…Machinedramon."

(Digimon Adventutre OST: Kyoufu no Ashiato)

"Machinedramon?!" Puppetmon gawked. "Is that really you?! Geez, you really let yourself go!"

"I possess this human body, you idiot!" Millenniummon snapped. "But I will have a new body to call my own very shortly. And I am no longer Machinedramon. I am now Millenniummon. And as I said before, I saved you from MetalGarurumon's attack by bringing you here four years in the future."

"The future?!" asked Puppetmon. "Since when could you do time travel?"

"Since I fell shortly after you did and became stronger than ever," explained Millenniummon. "In my current form I am only at a fraction of my power, and I seek to regain my original body. I am very close to achieving my goal, but I need the Digidestined stalled long enough to do so."

"Wait a minute," said Puppetmon. "The Digidestined are still alive in the future?"

"Yes," Millenniummon answered. "I made a grave miscalculation during my original encounter with the Digidestined, and Piedmon was a fool who decided it was more important to play games with the Digidestined and toy with them. It led to his downfall…much like yours!"

"I resent that," Puppetmon grumbled. "But still…are you saying they managed to even beat Apocalymon?"

"Yes," Millenniummon answered. "And despite my new powers, my body was greatly damaged and it forced me to enter this," he gestured to Ken's body. "But I have seen all the possibilities and outcomes in the upcoming battle Puppetmon. Victory shall belong to me this time…and it can belong to you as well, if you aid me."

"What do you need me for?" asked Puppetmon. "You said something about needing the Digidestined stalled while you finish your new body?"

"Yes," said Millenniummon. "I still need one more Digimon to finish my body, and I must head out to the ocean to retrieve him. But the Digidestined are close to finding this base, and what is more, they have grown in numbers after our final encounter years ago. While I have never approved of your obsession with toying with your enemies rather than destroy them in one fell swoop, I need you to distract a good number of the Digidestined in the meantime."

"How exactly do you expect me to do that?" Puppetmon asked skeptically. "I was barely able to survive five of those brats before MetalGarurumon showed up! And you expect me to fight them on my own again?!"

"Calm yourself," Millenniummon reassured his former Dark Master ally. "I plan on giving you your own playground to use against the Digidestined…as well as some special friends."

"Really?" Puppetmon was now smirking at the response. "What kind of friends are we talking about?"

* * *

"How much…further…Ryo?" Monodramon asked through labored breathing as Justimon kept running through the forest at top speed. "We've been running for hours on end."

"I think we've gotten far enough," Ryo replied. "Let's stop here." Justimon finally stopped near the edge of the forest and split back into Ryo and Monodramon, the latter falling on his back.

"Damn…Millenniummon had been making sure I was well fed, but it hadn't been enough for me to go on much longer as Justimon."

"Thankfully, there's some fruit on these trees that look safe, so you can eat these," Ryo gestured to the trees around them. Monodramon climbed up a nearby tree and began eating all the fruit he could find, regaining his energy.

"So, Ken said Millenniummon just needed one more Digimon to complete Kimeramon," Monodramon recapped everything Ryo told him after they escaped Millenniummon's base. "Something tells me it's Devimon."

"I'd be surprised if it isn't," said Ryo grimly. "We can't keep running for much longer. We have to get to the others and soon!" Ryo's thoughts were suddenly cut off when he heard a beeping from his pocket. Fishing out his D-Arc, the source of the beeping, Ryo gasped in shock at what he saw.

"Well, I'm all charged up again," Monodramon leaped off the tree. "And I'm ready to start going again. How much longer until we find a Digital Gate?"

"I…don't think we need to find one," Ryo said, showing his D-Arc to Monodramon. The screen was showing a holographic map of their area, with several red dots on the far end of the map.

"Wait, that's the tracker for our D-Arcs!" Monodramon gasped in realization. "The others must be nearby!"

"According to this, they're 200 miles from here," said Ryo. "Let's not waste any more time!" A flash of light later, and Cyberdramon was flying for the location at top speed.

* * *

(Digimon Adventure OST: Bokutachi, Digimon!)

"Welcome, welcome!" Piximon greeted the large crowd of Digidestined that appeared in front of him from the Digital Gate, his gaze focused on all of their bags packed. "I see you've prepared yourselves for war!"

"That's right Piximon," Tai said. "And we're not leaving here until Millenniummon is vanquished!"

"That's the spirit!" Piximon chirped. "Follow me to my house! We already have our safe houses prepared, so all we'll need to do is split you up into different groups for each safe house—"

Suddenly, a large black figure dropped down from out of the sky and landed in front of the team, blocking their path. A large cloud of dust was kicked up from the landing, blocking everybody's view of the newcomer.

"What is that, one of Millenniummon's servants?!" Kari asked as Piximon and some of the Digimon took battle stances.

"Or is it a wild Digimon?" asked Kenta. Davis and Veemon's eyes widened at the familiar figure that they could make out as the cloud began dissipating.

"Wait, that's not an enemy!" Davis's words proved true when the cloud was gone completely, revealing a familiar black dragon Digimon.

"Cyberdramon!" Tentomon exclaimed in surprise.

"Then that must mean…"

"Hey guys!" Takato was cut off by the familiar face of Ryo, who leaned to the side to show himself on Cyberdramon's back.

(Digimon Tamers OST: Yukikau Hitobito 2)

"RYO!" everybody gasped in surprise.

"How did you escape Millenniummon's base?!" Rika asked as Cyberdramon transformed back to Monodramon, his face looking grim like Ryo's.

"It's a long story, so here's the short version: Ken was able to fight off Millenniummon's possession long enough to help us escape. By now, Millenniummon has probably regained control, and he's almost finished with his plan."

"Was Ken able to tell you what his plan was?"

"He did TK," said Ryo. "Millenniummon is planning to recreate his old body."

"What?!" Kazu gasped. "How's he planning to do that?"

"He's been collecting data on all the Digimon he needs," explained Ryo. "He's been building new versions of Machinedramon and Kimeramon, and once they're finished, he's going to use Calumon to fuse them together…"

"…and then he'll jump out of Ken's body and into his new one!" Henry realized. "That must be why he took Calumon!"

"And he's almost done," said Monodramon. "He just needs one more Digimon to complete the project: Devimon."

"Devimon?!" asked TK and most of the Digidestined familiar with him.

"How's he gonna get data on Devimon?" asked Gomamon. "His kind aren't exactly easy to find around the Digital World."

"Not really, but there is one place he can find Devimon's data," said Rika. "And that's the Dark Whirlpool."

"The…what?" Kari asked with a shiver. Whatever the Dark Whirlpool was, it didn't sound like a very good place. And her suspicions were confirmed with Kazu's answer.

"The Dark Whirlpool. It's…it's hard to say what it was exactly, since the show didn't go into much detail. But apparently, it's a whirlpool far in the middle of the Digital World's oceans, and apparently, it's home to the data of some of the darkest Digimon there, Devimon included. It appears very rarely, and there are some fan theories that believe it to be an entrance into the Dark World."

"What?" Kari began shivering more at the mention of Dagomon's world.

"Then we have to stop Millenniummon!" TK said, his face showing great anger. "If that is true, then he can't be allowed to get Devimon's data! Ryo, where's his base?!"

"Follow us," Ryo said as he used a Blue Card to Digivolve Monodramon to Cyberdramon again. "And any Digimon that can Digivolve into fast forms, do it!"

"Right!" In a matter of moments Raidramon, Birdramon, Kabuterimon, Halsemon, Kyubimon, Garurumon, Pegasusmon, Nefertimon, and Guardromon were running or flying for the base as fast as they could. During the ride to the base, Davis thought about his talk with Takato and Kenta from early this morning before they entered the Digital World.

* * *

FLASHBACK

 _"So Henry brought this up the other day, but I wanted to confirm it with you guys, since you and Kazu are big Digimon fans," Davis said to Takato and Kenta, having pulled them to a corner of the warehouse for some privacy. "Is there really a Digimental in Millenniummon's base in there that has my Crest on it?"_

 _"Yeah, it's true," Kenta nodded. "Ken found it during his early days as the Digimon Emperor. He couldn't really get it to work right, but he saw how much energy was flowing through it, so he installed it in the base as a power source."_

 _"Millenniummon's dark influence on Ken must have made it difficult for him to use it properly," Veemon said to himself. "So is the Digimental for Davis, like the Digimentals of Hope and Light were for TK and Kari?"_

 _"It is," said Takato. "And if we get it, it can help turn this fight with Millenniummon around in our favor."_

 _"And we'll be able to win!" Guilmon raised his arm in agreement._

 _"If that's true, then maybe it can free Ken," Davis said hopefully, looking at his old Crest. "My Crest of Miracles has been able to get us out of impossible situations before. Imagine what a Digimental of Miracles could do."_

 _"What kind of Digimon will I be able to Digivolve into with it?" asked Veemon._

 _"Not saying anything just yet," said Kenta. "But it will be an ace."_

END FLASHBACK

* * *

'Whatever that ace is, it better be enough to get Millenniummon out of Ken's body and destroy him before he's able to jump bodies,' Davis thought with a hard look in his eyes. 'Because if it isn't, I swear I'll beat Millenniummon out of Ken myself!'

After nearly an hour of running, the Digidestined and the Tamers found themselves in a vast rocky area where multiple Control Spires were erected, which was no doubt the location of Millenniummon's fortress. They stopped moving when they saw Cyberdramon slow down above them.

"Damn it!"

"Ryo, what's wrong?" Izzy asked, the Digimon letting their passengers off before De-Digivolving. Ryo walked over to a large crater in the middle of the area, an angry look on his face.

"We're too late. Millenniummon's already moved his base out."

"What?!" Yolei ran over and looked down at the hole in shock and confusion. "This huge crater used to be Millenniummon's base?!"

"It was," said Kazu. "I guess he decided to take to the skies."

"Wait, the base could fly?!" asked Cody, looking at the hole below them. "But that's impossible! A structure that ginormous couldn't possibly be capable of flight!"

"You forget quickly Cody, this is the Digital World," Izzy said. "The impossible is always possible."

"How very true." Everybody in the vicinity froze at the sound of a familiar dark voice. "Everything is quite possible in the Digital World, including rebirth…such as my own." Looking up at a nearby mountain, the children gasped when they saw Millenniummon standing above them. Gazing down at them through the sunglasses of the Digimon Emperor, Millenniummon leaped off the mountain and landed gracefully in front of his enemies, the confident smirk on his face never leaving.

(Digimon Tamers OST: Panic)

"You!" Rika growled angrily. "I see you're still here even after your base up and left."

"Yes," Millenniummon replied. "I had it set on autopilot so I could stay here and greet you. By now my base is nearing the ocean, and it will only be a matter of time before it reaches the Dark Whirlpool."

"And you're not going to be there when it does!" TK said defiantly. "You think I'm just going to let you use Devimon's dark data to recreate your old body?! We're stopping you right now!"

"You might as well give it up now Millenniummon, you've lost!" Tai demanded. "We outnumber and out-power you in your current state, and any Digimon you send after us will be beaten back!"

"Now let Ken go, or we'll force you out of him!" said Davis.

"I'm afraid not," said Millenniummon. "I still need Ken's body a little longer. And do you honestly think I would use common Digimon against you? I know full well of the power you possess when you're all together. That's why I did some very special recruitment."

"What do you mean, special recruitment?" Ai's question was answered a split second later when a loud laugh rang out through the area, causing the children and their partners to look around wildly for the source.

"What is that?" asked Armadillomon as the laughter came much closer.

"That laugh sounds familiar…" Gomamon said, eyes narrowed. "And it also sounds bad."

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Digidestined!" The earth began shaking wildly and a pillar of dirt and rocks erupted from the crater, followed by a long snake-like figure. The figure flew into the sky and looked down at the Digidestined and Tamers, who could now see the features of the Digimon: A long, serpentine body clad in silver and gold armor, multiple fins, and silver hair poking under a helmet with a long sharp blade and a snout shaped like a cannon.

"Digidestined! I believe you're familiar with my former ally from the Dark Masters…" Millenniummon gestured up to the massive Digimon. "METALSEADRAMON!"

"There's another Seadramon?!" Cody gasped.

"Yeah, and he's the most dangerous one!" Kenta said, looking at his D-Ark. "MetalSeadramon. Data attribute Cyborg Digimon, Mega level! His entire body is coated in Chrome Digizoid metal, and he's said to be the fastest of all aquatic Digimon, able to attack on land, sea, and in the air! His special attack is a powerful stream of energy from his snout called River of Power. What's more, he was one of the four Dark Masters that served Apocalymon and warped the Digital World like crazy!"

"There's no way that's the same one from before!" Joe said in shock.

"Oh, but I am!" the snake Digimon fired back at Joe. "I've been reborn thanks to Millenniummon's power over time! He was able to gather my data from the time of my death and was able to reconstitute it here in the future. And now it's payback time, brats!"

"Think again!" Tai whipped out his Digivice in an instant. "We beat you before, and we'll do it again! Agumon!"

"Guilmon, let's get in there!" Takato pulled out his D-Ark and began glowing with his partner. "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

(One Vision: Dukemon Version)

"GUILMON BIOMERGE TOOO…GALLANTMON!"

"AGUMON WARP DIGIVOLVE TOOO…WARGREYMON!"

"Get him like last time, buddy!" Tai yelled up to his partner.

"MEGA CLAW!" WarGreymon flew up at MetalSeadramon, his Dramon Killers outstretched. MetalSeadramon charged for the dragon man in a collision that saw the serpent move at the last second and send WarGreymon off course before his claws could reach their target: MetalSeadramon's head.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for that same trick twice!" MetalSeadramon taunted.

"Here's a new trick then!" Gallantmon flew up and aimed his lance. "ROYAL SABER!" The lightning blast hit MetalSeadramon in the side. Growling from the slight pain he felt, the former Dark Master lunged for Gallantmon; his massive maw nearly engulfed the Royal Knight had WarGreymon not knocked him out of the way.

"That's it! RIVER OF POWER!" WarGreymon didn't have time to move and he was sent flying into the air as MetalSeadramon's energy beam slammed into his body, a yell of pain escaping him.

"WarGreymon!" Kari and Tai yelled in worry as they saw smoke curling off WarGreymon, his armor cracked slightly from the attack.

"Not good!" Henry said in worry. "MetalSeadramon's Data attribute trumps WarGreymon's Vaccine!"

"You're even more foolish than I thought you were WarGreymon!" MetalSeadramon cackled, coiling his tail around WarGreymon and squeezing him tightly. "HELL SQUEEZE!"

"Hang on, WarGreymon!" Gallantmon called out and flew for MetalSeadramon, the latter cruelly chuckling at WarGreymon's pained screams.

"MetalSeadramon, stop fooling around!" Millenniummon called up. "You know what to do!"

"I know!" MetalSeadramon swung his tail down and released WarGreymon. The armored warrior dropped to the ground and landed with a crash, reverting to his Rookie level.

"Agumon!" Tai ran over and picked up his partner, who was groaning in pain.

"FINAL ELYSION!" Gallantmon's shield blast flew at MetalSeadramon, but the massive sea serpent was able to maneuver his body out of the path of the attack, speeding past him and for the children. None of the Digimon had time to Digivolve as the Dark Master rammed through the Digidestined, knocking them off their feet. Using his speed, MetalSeadramon came back around and dodged Gallantmon's attacks, knocking the children around again. Going back up again, MetalSeadramon turned his gaze, focusing on a small group that consisted of Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, Rika, Jeri and their partners.

(Digimon Adventure 02 OST: Furi no Tatakai)

"You punks are finished! RIVER OF POWER!" The energy beam flew from his snout and hit the ground his targets were standing on cracked apart and revealed a chasm that they fell into, disappearing from sight.

"Tai! Matt!" TK and Kari called out for their siblings.

"Jeri!" Takato yelled from inside Gallantmon.

"Don't worry about them," said Millenniummon. "Your friends will be all right. I'm sure Puppetmon and his new playmates will take good care of them."

"Puppetmon?!" TK yelled in worry, remembering the psychotic wooden Digimon. MetalSeadramon let out one final laugh before he dropped down into the chasm he created.

"Damn you, Millenniummon!" Davis yelled angrily. "You know you can't beat us all together, don't you?!"

"Perhaps," replied the dark Digimon. "I certainly can't afford to deal with all of you. And now you have a choice: You can gather what's left of your forces and stop me, or you can help your friends." Millenniummon vanished in a dark portal, his evil smirk the last thing they saw.

"Okay!" Yolei snarled, Gallantmon landing next to her and transforming back to Takato and Guilmon. "Now he's really pissed me off!"

"Hold it together Yolei," Ryo said. "We can't afford to be caught off-guard more than we already are."

"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Mako. "Our friends are in trouble, and if Millenniummon gets his old body back, we may need everybody to fight him."

"Mako's right!" said Impmon. "So, what's it going to be?"

"As much as I hate to say it, we have to let Tai and the others deal with Puppetmon and MetalSeadramon themselves," said Ryo.

(Digimon Tamers OST: Setsunasa ~The Biggest Dreamer~)

"That's not a good idea," said TK. "As much as I don't want to see Millenniummon reborn again, I can't let Puppetmon have his way with my brother or my friends. Not again." The child of Hope remembered how Puppetmon toyed with Matt and turned him against the Digidestined, and it was something he did not want to see happen again.

"Plus, Millenniummon said Puppetmon had several other Digimon with him besides MetalSeadramon," said Gatomon. "They could be very strong Digimon in their own right."

"Maybe, but we got to have faith that they'll get out of this," said Davis. "Tai, Sora and the older kids have been doing this for four years now. They beat these guys before, and I know they can do it again."

"And it's different from four years ago," said Ryo. "Before WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon were the only Mega Digimon, but now they have four other Mega levels to fight."

"Yeah!" Kenta agreed. "And, they've also got Rika and Jeri with them. Rika's one of our strongest Tamers, and Jeri can hold her own."

"…you're right," TK said. "I'm sorry, but I didn't count on Puppetmon returning."

"None of us did TK," Kari reassured him. "But we should have expected this by now with Millenniummon. It's not the first time he brought our enemies back to fight us."

"If we're all agreed then, let's stop talking and start moving!" Davis held up his D-3. "Veemon!"

(Digimon Adventure: Brave Heart)

"Okay!" Veemon leaped up in a flash of blue light. "VEEMON WARP DIGIVOLVE TOOO…IMPERIALDRAMON!" The massive dragon hovered over the remaining Digidestined before landing next to them.

"Everyone on Imperialdramon!" Davis called out, climbing on his partner's back. The rest of the Digidestined were fast in getting on Imperialdramon, the great dragon taking flight.

"Any idea of where Millenniummon's base flew off to?" asked Betamon. Imperialdramon visually scanned the area below him, eventually resting his sight on a straight line of Control Spires leading west, to the ocean.

"I see a path," Imperialdramon growled, heading for the body of water in the distance. "The smarmy bastard wants us to come to him."

"Then let's not waste his time much longer," Davis slammed his fist into his palm, ready for battle like the other Digidestined.

* * *

(Digimon Adventure OST: Ijou Jitai Hassei!)

Deep down in the chasm, the rest of the team found themselves in a freefall, blacked out from the attack. Puppetmon watched the scene with wicked glee through a monitor screen in a room, giggling like a child on Christmas morning. Behind him were MetalSeadramon and several other Digimon hidden in the shadows. The marionette Digimon turned to them, a glimmer in his eyes.

"It's time to play, my friends! You know who you want, so have at them!"

"Yeah!" The Digimon turned and left the room, each taking a different door that led to special areas that Millenniummon and Puppetmon created for them. Once they were gone, Puppetmon sat back in his seat and kicked his feet up, watching the screens with joy.

"Let the games…begin!"

(Digimon Tamers OST: Days ~Aijou to Nichijou~ TV Size)

END CHAPTER 25

* * *

 **Geez, it's been nearly seven months since I've last updated this story?! Man, I have got to get better with this story.**

 **Anyway, I do have some good reasons for the very long delay. When I last updated in July, I was absolutely swamped. I would come home from work late and tired, and I could only write several sentences before I decided to call it a night and hit the hay. Add in the holidays and getting sick, and I was sidetracked for quite some time.**

 **There have also been a few things that have occupied my time lately as well. The last few months I've been watching Youtube reviewers, namely Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug, host of Atop the Fourth Wall, and James Rolfe, known better as the Angry Video Game Nerd. If you haven't seen them, then I highly recommend you watch them, as they are quite funny and informative with what they review.  
**

 **Also, I've become hooked to Mystery Science Theater 3000, and it is the funniest show that I have ever seen. They have full episodes on Youtube, and if you haven't seen MST3K, then go find some of their old episodes. You will love what you see.**

 **Another thing that has also been occupying my time involves comic books. Recent events that have happened in Marvel and DC Comics, namely DC Comics (Heroes in Crisis specifically), have left me pissed off at the current management of both companies, and in the wake of the success of Avengers: Endgame, which basically ended an era for Marvel movies, I've decided to start my own versions of Marvel and DC, with some ideas of my own, as well as inspiration from comics, movies, TV shows, fanfictions and other fans. They have very good stuff, and they ignore some of the more stupid and crappy things that have happened in the comics over the last few years (like Heroes in Crisis, the absolute WORST comic I have ever read yet in my life).**

 **The final thing is the recent developments in Digimon news. It's been confirmed that Last Evolution: Kizuna, coming out this month, will end the Adventure series as we know it. And on April 9, 2020, Digimon Adventure will be rebooted, focusing on Tai and the 01 Digidestined. And instead of 1999, the season's events will take place in 2020. With this new developments, I was left wondering where this story would go from here, if I should continue it, leave it in limbo, or just take it off the site. But I decided to not let this get to me. I'll keep writing out new chapters, I'll update when I can, and I will see this thing through to the end!**

 **Oh, and one more thing: My story is now on the website TV Tropes on the Fanfic Recs page for Digimon! If I keep writing out this story, or if someone is interested, I hope this will be able to get its own page on the site, like other Digimon fanfictions such as Zero 2: A Revision or the Tamers Forever Series.**

 **Anyway, thanks for continuing to read during my absence, thank you for the reviews, and thank you all for your favorites!**

 **Next time on Digimon Adventure Tamers: As Davis and Ryo's team head for Millenniummon's base, Tai's group find them separated, facing dangerous familiar faces from their past!**

 **Chapter 26: The Games of Hell! Puppetmon**


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